


The Sun and Her Moon | CHONI |

by RainAndThunderstorms



Category: Riverdale - Fandom, choni - Fandom
Genre: F/F, Riverdale, choni
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 03:35:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 38,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29770074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainAndThunderstorms/pseuds/RainAndThunderstorms
Summary: Toni is a single parent who has just moved to a new city Riverdale struggling to find her feet she gets a job at a local diner. Enter Cheryl Blossom.Riverdale is a city not a town in this story!Let me know what you think!I do not own the characters.
Relationships: Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz
Comments: 64
Kudos: 85





	1. Chapter 1

With the last box piled on the kitchen counter Toni finally took a breath taking in her new surroundings. She didn't have a lot but that didn't matter, she was free and this was a fresh start for her and her son. Toni had escaped an abusive relationship with her five year old son Tommy after things had gotten worse than usual and Tommy's father had laid hands on their son. No matter what she allowed to happen to her she would never allow harm to come to her son. So at 28 years old she had packed a few of their things hiding them under Tommy's bed and slipping out in the middle of the night without a trace, no credit card, no cell phone and a little cash she had saved over the past few years. They had lived in a domestic violence refuge for a few months before finally finding a small apartment in a city called Riverdale.

'Mommy?' Tommy asked pulling Toni from her thoughts 'when are we going home to daddy?'. She knelt down to his level taking a steady breath, he was confused at what was happening since they fled their previous home. 'Well' she said handing him his tatty teddy bear Rory 'this is our home now, just for you and mommy. We're gonna have lots of fun and you're going to make lots of new friends. It's going to be an adventure' she smiled as he took in every word. 'Okay mommy' he just nodded. Every now and again he would ask questions about his father but he was normally satisfied with Toni's answer. 'Shall I put some cartoons on for you to watch?'. 'Yaaayyy' he squealed running to the worn down couch as Toni switched on cartoons on the tv. While he was occupied she could organise some of their things, luckily the apartment was furnished so she had enough to start and could upgrade when she could afford it.

She went to Tommy's room first, placing his few clothes in the set of drawers and his toys in a neat pile in the corner of the small room. She couldn't wait to decorate the room for him, it was white and clean but she wanted to give him the opportunity to have the room the way he wanted to make it feel like his, when she could afford it of course. Looking at Tommy still watching tv cuddled with his teddy bear as she exited his room to go to her own made her heart melt, she promised herself she'd give him the best life possible. Her bedroom was slightly bigger, a double bed in the middle of the room with a single set of drawers, it didn't look a lot but Toni couldn't have asked for more. She placed her box on her bed pulling out her clothes and the photo album she had packed which contained precious photos of her son. She sat down on her bed holding the photo album in her hands, slowly she started to flick through the pages her eyes filled up. At least after everything that had happened to her something good came out of it. The little light of her life. Her little boy. 'Mommy are you sad?'. She wiped her tear not noticing the small boy had come into the room. 'No baby, Mommy's fine. Just happy'. 'You're crying because you're happy?' His little face scrunching up 'you're silly mommy'. He climbed up on her lap and wrapped his small arms around her. 'I love you sweet boy' she squeezed him a little. 'Love you mommy' he tried to mimic her squeeze. 'How about I come and watch some cartoons with you?'. 'Okay let's go' he jumped off of her lap and reached for her hand dragging her towards the couch.

'Mommy I'm hungry' Tommy moaned holding his tummy. 'Me too, shall we go find some place to eat?'. He nodded eagerly. Toni hadn't had time to get any groceries yet and she was pretty tired so eating out seemed like a good idea. 'Okay go grab your coat and shoes. He jumped from the couch rushing to his room with Rory dangling from his hand. Soon enough he was back in front of his mom holding out his shoes and coat. Toni bent down to help him slip his feet into his shoes and tied them, she then pick up his coat and held it open for him to slip his arms through. After zipping it up she tapped his nose causing him to giggle. 'Okay let's go' she said putting on her jacket 'but keep hold of my hand okay?'. 'Yep' the little boy smiled.

As they left the apartment and got onto the street Toni took Tommy's hand. It was busier than what they were used to coming from a small town. 'Okay buddy let's go find some place to eat' she gently pulled his arm so he'd start walking. She looked down at him as they walked noticing him taking everything in with wide eyes. 'What do you think?' she squeezed his hand. 'The buildings are sooo big, they are touching the sky' he said pointing up. 'Yes they are' she chuckled. The streets had gotten slightly less busy after they had been walking for about 20 minutes. 'Mommy there!' Tommy stopped in his tracks and pointed to a little dinner tucked away on the corner of the street. 'You wanna eat there?' Toni asked knowing her son was a fussy eater. 'Yes Yes YES' he laughed. 'Okay' she said 'lets go'. The little bell above the door jingled as they walked in. 'Hello there, eat in or take away?' a man from behind the counter said with a kind smile. 'Eat in please' Toni smiled. 'Okay take a seat I'll be with you in a moment' he motioned to the seating area.

Toni let Tommy choose their booth, he sat down and she sat across from him. 'Okay little man what do you want to eat?'. 'Ermm fries, cheeseburger and strawberry milkshake pleaseee' he smiled happily. As Toni glanced around the diner she decided she liked the look of it, it was old school, something you wouldn't expect in a city. Her eyes landed on a _help wanted_ sign hanging on the door, _'perfect'_ she thought _._ The same gentleman that greeted them came over to their table 'Hi I'm Pop, what can I get you guys?' he smiled. 'Hi Pop. Could we have two cheeseburgers and fries and also a strawberry and a chocolate milkshake please?'. 'Is that everything for you both?'. 'Actually I noticed the sign on the door, I'm definitely interested if it's still available?'. 'It is still available, could you start Monday around 9.30am for a trial?'. 'Yes that would be great thank you, I'm Toni and this is Tommy'. 'Well nice to meet you Toni and Tommy, your order will be right out' he left with a smile. It was perfect, Tommy started his new school on Monday and it left her enough time to time to take him, things were finally coming together for the small family.

'So what do you think so far?' Toni started a conversation with her son. 'I like it and I like it in here' Tommy gave her a toothy grin. 'Good, me too baby'. The jukebox played music in the background and she chuckled as the little boy danced as he sat in his seat. He was such a great kid, so compassionate and kind, Toni was glad he was nothing like his father. It didn't take long for Pop to come back out with their food. 'Here you go' he said as he placed their food on the table. 'Thank you' both mother and son said at the same time. 'Wow Mommy look at my milkshake' he gasped taking a big sip. 'Yeah well make sure you eat your food before you drink all your milkshake'. He nodded picking up a fry while Toni cut up his burger before digging into her own food. Toni was thankful Tommy was seemingly enjoying his food, she didn't want to be dealing with a temper tantrum in front of the whole diner. Eventually they were both finished and feeling very full. 'Did you enjoy your meal?' Pop asked appearing back at the booth. 'It was very yummy' Tommy smiled. 'Yes Pop it was delicious thank you'. When their stomachs were settled Toni got Tommy ready before going to the counter to pay the bill. 'Thank you Pop, I'll see you Monday'. 'See you Monday, goodbye Toni, bye Tommy'. 'Bye Pop' Tommy waved as he was leaving with his Mom hand in hand.

When they arrived back at their apartment Toni gave Tommy a bath and got him into his pyjama's, she allowed him to play with his toys for half an hour before bed. While she let Tommy play she put her clothes away in her bedroom and the utensils away in the kitchen. In a way she was glad she didn't have a lot of things, it would have been more difficult for her to unpack everything by herself. Once she was satisfied everything had a place she went to go and check on Tommy and get him into bed. As she stepped into his room he had already fell asleep on the floor while he was playing with his toys. Toni stood for a moment just watching his chest rise and fall and his eyelashes twitching as he dreamt. She careful scooped him up careful not to wake him. After pulling back his duvet with one hand she laid him down with Rory the teddy bear and tucked him in. She placed a kiss on his forehead before putting on his nightlight and leaving the room shutting the door behind her. Toni had a quick shower and changed into her pyjamas before sitting on the couch and putting on some Saturday evening show. She picked up the cell phone she had purchased a couple of weeks ago and decided to make new social media accounts, obviously she couldn't use her full name and settled for Toni Tee, she made sure everything was private just in case. She couldn't add any of her old friends in case her ex found her and tried to harass her. That was one thing that did hurt Toni, the fact that she may never see her friends again. She hadn't spoken to anyone about leaving in fear she would be caught. She just couldn't risk it. She just hoped they weren't too worried about her, they knew about the abuse and so she hoped they'd understand. Not wanting to get sucked back in to what was her life, Toni stood up turning off the tv and went to bed. She was exhausted, not just from today but from the past few months. She settled under her duvet and allowed sleep to consume her.


	2. Chapter 2

'Mommy! Time to wake up!' Tommy yelled as he bounced up and down on her bed. Toni pretended to still be asleep as the boy moved closer. 'Momma come on' he groaned as he moved towards her face. Suddenly she reached for him pulling him towards her and attacking him with tickles and quick pecks to the face. He squealed happily and Toni could listen to that laugh forever. 'Okay first one to the couch is a rotten egg' she shouted as she went to get up. Tommy's eyes widened as he scrambled off the bed and raced out of the room. 'I win! I win!' he shouted his arms in the air in victory. 'You did! You're the fastest little boy in the world' she smiled. 'I'm going to order us some pancakes for breakfast but later on we need to go to the store, sound good?'. 'Yep' he said sat on the couch snuggling Rory to his chest. Toni turned on the Sunday morning cartoons and pulled out her phone to make an order for breakfast from somewhere. 'Okay kid they'll be here in 30 minutes' she said taking a seat next to him.

'So are you excited to start school tomorrow?' Toni asked. Tommy was usually a confident kid but this was all new and she hoped it wouldn't overwhelm him. 'I am, I'm going to make lots of new friends!' he smiled. 'Yeah you are' Toni smiled back 'is there anything you're worried about that you might want to talk about?'. Tommy frowned obviously thinking. 'I don't want you to be all by yourself and be upset' he looked at her. 'I won't be upset sweetheart, I start my new job tomorrow so I will be making new friends too'. 'Yay' he smiled. He was so young but the way he cared for her made Toni's heart melt. There was a knock at the door. 'Okay pancakes are here' Toni said standing up and going to the door. They sat on the couch eating their breakfast as they laughed together at the cartoons. 'Come on little man eat up so we can go grocery shopping'.

The shopping trip was pretty simple, Tommy only asked they if he could have some sweets to share with his new classmates. Toni agreed and told him to pick something for himself as well for when they got home. The city was so big and she couldn't wait to explore it. She just wanted to get herself and Tommy in a routine with school and work and then they could spend their free time exploring and experiencing new things. Toni hoped that Tommy would make friends easily and fit in well, she was sure he would but she was a mother and she would always worry about him no matter his age. She watched him as he played quietly on the floor as she put away the food. Finally she would be able to cook at home and have snacks on hand for her son who had a seemingly black hole for a stomach and was never full for longer than an hour. The nerves mixed with excitement as she thought about starting a new job. The diner seemed quiet and the customers seemed nice, she just hoped she didn't have to deal with more difficult customers like she had when she worked in a bar in her home town. Although that being said she supposed she could handle whatever was thrown at her.

The day soon turned to night, a little bit quicker than Toni would have liked as she wanted a little more time with her son before she had to get him to bed. She cooked his dinner, bathed him and sat on the floor in his room with him playing with his toys. 'Okay it's time for bed, go brush your teeth'. He obeyed without objection running off to the bathroom the sound of his feet pattering on the floor. He zoomed back in the room after brushing his teeth 'Mommy please can you read me a story' he asked tumbling into bed. 'Of course' she smiled. Tonight he chose one about a knight and a princess from his small selection. He cuddled with Rory as Toni squeezed in next to him to start the story. As she read through the pages, doing silly voices for each characters Tommy fell asleep, a light snore escaping as he breathed calmly. Toni laid there for a moment studying his face like she had many times before. His dark eyelashes fluttering as he dreamed and the freckles scattered over his nose and cheeks. His dark curly hair spread over the pillow. She kissed his head before quietly sliding out of his bed and leaving the room, she had also decided to have a early night so she was prepared for the day ahead. Heading to bed she wondered what her life would be like here once they had settled in, would she find friends, maybe mom friends from Tommy's school. Now that they were safe she trusted that everything would work out and as long as her and Tommy were happy that's all that matters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think so far :)


	3. Chapter 3

The alarm on her phone blaring on her bedside table pulled her from her peaceful sleep. Groaning she decided it would be best to get up and be prepared rather than hit the snooze button like she actually wanted to do. She worked her way around the kitchen to make herself a coffee so she could have a second to wake up before waking up Tommy. She sat on the couch and stuck on the cartoon channel. She couldn't deny she was a big kid at heart and would often sit and watch cartoons even when her son wasn't there. She had gotten their outfits out the night before to make the morning easier. She changed into her plain black skinny jeans and black t-shirt it was the best option she had given the circumstances. For Tommy she chose a black tracksuit and white sneakers, simple but cute.

Toni moved back to the kitchen side of the apartment making Tommy his pack lunch and his breakfast. She popped his lunch box on the counter once she was done and put his breakfast consisting of cereal and orange juice on his blanket on the floor so he wouldn't spill it all over the couch. She went into his bedroom to wake him up so she could get him ready for the day. 'Time to wake up sleeping beauty' she smiled as she kissed his face. Cracking open his eye he smiled at Toni and brought his arms above his head as he stretched. Whenever he was woken up by his mom he reached out for her so she could carry him out of his bed. Toni scooped him up, taking him to the bathroom first and then into the main room of the apartment setting him down on the ground so he could eat his breakfast. As she expected his pyjamas were covered in milk, she cleaned him up and got him ready for his first day. She decided on clearing the pots away later so she could spend ten minutes with Tommy before she had to set off to get him to school. 'Are you excited buddy' she bumped his shoulder as they sat on the couch. 'Yeah' he smiled 'but can Rory come?' he asked clenching the teddy bear to his chest. 'If you want him to, let's get going for your first day'. She put on his coat and then her own, making sure she had everything she needed in her bag she picked it up along with Tommy's lunch box. The school wasn't too far away, around a five minute walk from Pops so she didn't have to walk far to get to work after dropping him off.

As they approached the main door to the school she feels a little hand curl tighter around hers. She looks down at her son watching him as he looked around curiously. They managed to find his class and they were greeted by a teacher at the door. She had short black hair, blue eyes and a kind smile. She smiled at Toni before bending down to Tommy's level. 'You must be Thomas Topaz'. He nodded as he moved behind his moms legs. 'Well Thomas I'm Ms Smith, you are going to have lots of fun and meet lots of new friends. What do you think? Shall we go inside and meet everyone'. He looked up at Toni who also bent down to his level 'you're going to have fun and I'll be right here to pick you up when you finish okay?'. 'Okay Mommy' he whispered. She pulled him into a tight hug before standing back up and watching him taking the teachers hand. He gave her a little wave before he was met by a small group of other students introducing themselves as he showed them his teddy bear. She smiled and slipped away so she could get to work.

The bell above the door rang as Toni pushed it open. 'Hi Pop' she smiled. 'Toni, it's good to see you. I just have a little paperwork for you to fill in before we get you to work' he smiled. She filled in her paperwork after siting in a booth, it didn't take long and she was soon back up and handing it to Pop. 'Okay Toni, here's your apron, you'll be waiting tables. Most of our customers are regulars so you'll meet plenty of new and interesting people'. She put on here apron smoothing it down with her hands. 'Sounds good' she smiled. 'Here's your notepad and pen, any questions be sure to ask' and with that she got on with her job. No new customers had come in yet so she just glanced around to see if anyone needed their table clearing. As she looked around Toni's eyes landed on possibly the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen. Trying hard not to stare she studied the woman. Long thick red hair, dark brown orbs and porcelain skin, her glasses on the end of her nose as she stared down at her laptop bringing the coffee to her full lips every so often. Toni had relationships with women before met her ex and honestly she'd always prefer women but her, she was something else. Suddenly realising she was lost in thought she pulled herself out of it and moved to clean empty tables. She took a few orders, some customers having more of a conversation with her than others. After a while she saw the redhead packing away her laptop. She made her way over to her booth. 'Hi I hope everything was okay?' she smiled. 'Fine, thank you' she said curtly with a tight smile. 'Okay great! I'll just take these' Toni said reaching out and picking up the mug and plate 'have a great day' she smiled as she made her way to the kitchen. Okay the redhead definitely wasn't one for conversation, she took a mental note of that for future reference, that's if she's even a regular customer.

The day went by with ease and Toni was soon signing off with a wave to Pop and set off to go and pick up Tommy. It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining. Toni made her way to her sons class and waited among the other parents for the bell to ring. Tommy came barrelling over to her when the biggest smile on his face. Thank god she thought. 'Hey little man, did you have a good day?'. She took his hand. 'The best day' he jumped up and down. As they walked home she asked him what he had been doing with his day and if he had made any friends. He explained he had been playing and drawing and that he had made lots of new friends. Toni was glad to hear it, it made dropping him off at school that little bit easier knowing he was happy. The rest of the day was pretty routine, making them both dinner, relaxing while Tommy played, bath and bed.

In fact the whole week went exactly the same. Take Tommy to school, work, picking Tommy up and go home. Toni got to know a couple of customers on a first name basis, except the redhead, though she was there every day she was very minimal with conversation but not in a rude way. It was nice for her to have adult conversation with customers as she was used to it being it her and Tommy. Tommy was doing well at school, he had a regular group of friends and was a great student. Her heart swelled with pride whenever the teacher praised her son. It was Friday afternoon just as she was about to leave work Pop called her to the back. Suddenly she was worried, maybe she didn't do a good job. 'Everything okay Pop?' she asked closing the door behind her. 'Great Toni and I'd like to offer you the job permanently'. 'That's great' she breathed out relieved. 'There is one more thing, could you work tomorrow morning? The regular girl has called in and I really need the help'. 'Tomorrow is Saturday, my son isn't at school and I don't have any family to take care of him'. 'He can come along and sit in a booth, free fries and milkshakes to keep him occupied' he smiled. Toni thought about it, Tommy was usually well behaved and Pop said it would be okay for him to be there. 'Okay Pop, I'll be here tomorrow'. 'Thanks Toni' he smiled.

She took Tommy to the park after she picked him up from school. The park was huge with a play area for children, a lake, scattered trees and greenery. Tommy skipped to whole way there and as soon as he spotted the play area he looked up at his Mom silently begging to run. She let go of his hand and watched him run towards the other children. She kept a close eye on him as she took a seat on a free bench. 'Hey Toni right from Pops?'. A dark hair man and his blonde haired wife sat down beside her. She remembered them as Jughead and Betty, a couple of customers from Pops. 'Hey Jughead, Betty' she smiled. 'You had the same idea as us then' Betty smiled nodding at Tommy playing with who Toni assumed was their little girl. 'Yeah that's my son Tommy' she pointed over. 'Well Tommy seems to be making good friends with Alyssa, she talks about how much fun they'd had at school' Jughead smiled. 'Yeah he's mentioned her, I'm glad he's settled in well and made some friends' Toni smiled. The conversation flowed well between them, they agreed to set up a play date for their kids before going their separate ways.

Since it was Friday Toni ordered take out as a treat for her and Tommy. They spent the evening eating pizza and watching Disney movies, Toni treated herself to a glass of wine after Tommy had fallen asleep with pizza sauce smeared all over his face. He was the cutest kid ever, she knew she was biased but the way his dark eyes opened as she picked him up to put him to bed before closing again just made her smile. She wished she hadn't agreed to work tomorrow so she could spend time with her son but it was only a couple of hours and she needed the money. After cleaning up the mess she showered and took herself to bed ready for another day of work.


	4. Chapter 4

She definitely wished she hadn't agreed to work when her alarm woke her Saturday morning. She showered and got dressed before waking up Tommy and dressing him in jeans and a white T-shirt with a dinosaur on it. She promised him breakfast at Pops but he had to promise to be a good boy while she worked. She packed up Rory, a couple of his toys and some crayons and a colouring book to keep him busy. Tommy was excited he loved getting out of the apartment and the promise of milkshake led him to be dragging Toni out of the door. It was a lovely day again, she thought about maybe taking him for a walk around the lake after her shift if he behaved himself. The little boy chatted away excitedly the whole way to the diner.

The bell above the door rang as always when they walked through the door. 'Hey little man, strawberry milkshake and pancakes?' Pop smiled at him from behind the counter. 'Yes please' Tommy squealed eagerly nodding his head causing customers to look up from their tables including a familiar redhead. Toni shushed him and led him to a table where she'd be able to keep an eye on him, he climbed into a seat while Toni got out his toys and scattered them on the table. She told him to stay there and be good just as Pop fetched out his breakfast. Toni got on with her job checking on Tommy as much as she could while she was backwards and forwards between customers, thankful that he was being quiet and behaving keeping himself occupied drawing pictures. Saturdays were much more busy than the days in the week so Toni didn't have too much time to make conversation with customers.

'Hi' the redhead was interrupted from scrolling through her phone by a little voice. She lifted her eyes to a small boy climbing in the seat across from her. She could deal with and intimidate grown men and women but the redhead had no experience with children. She looked at him like he was an alien as he sat his tatty teddy bear on the table. 'Are you a Disney princess?' he asked. She gained back her posture and stated a simple 'no'. 'Oh you look like Ariel, your hair is very pretty' he smiled. 'Erm thanks'. She was struggling with talking to him, she never wanted children and thinking back as an adult she can't recall ever interacting with one. Her eyes looked around for the waitress, who she assumed was his mother as he looked exactly like her. 'My names Tommy. What's your name?'. 'Cheryl'. All of a sudden the waitress was stood beside her table. 'Thomas James Topaz what did I tell you about staying at your table' she scolded grabbing his hand 'I'm really sorry' she said looking at Cheryl. 'No problem' the redhead said looking back down at her phone.

'What were you doing bothering that lady' she said as she lifted him back on to his seat. 'I thought she was a Disney princess but she's not she's just Cheryl'. _'Cheryl'_ Toni thought, the kid managed to get her name in five minutes, typical. She warned him to stay in his seat again before carrying on with her job. Of course now Tommy had met Cheryl he couldn't help but slide back off his seat when his mom wasn't looking and make his way back over to her. 'Hey Cheryl' he smiled again climbing into the seat again. 'Didn't your mother tell you to stay in your seat?' She asked him with a raised eyebrow. He shrugged 'dunno but I've made you a picture' he said sliding the paper across the table 'see that's you and that's me'. 'Oh thank you' she faltered at that. 'Thomas!' Toni was by the table again. 'Sorry Mommy I was just lonely' he pouted. 'Tommy come on now'. 'I don't mind... Toni' Cheryl said looking up at the women's name badge 'he's not bothering me, he's welcome to stay there if it keeps him occupied as you work'. 'Are you sure?'. 'I'm sure, he's fine'. 'Okay well, you behave' she pointed at her son.

'Phew' he shook his head 'I thought Mommy was going to tell me off and not take me to the park'. Cheryl couldn't help but chuckle at the seriousness on the small child's face. 'Who's this' Cheryl said pointing to his teddy. 'This is Rory' he smiled proudly lifting him up so she could see him properly 'I got him when I was a baby!'. 'I can tell' Cheryl said but it was obviously lost on the child. 'Why are you here all by yourself?' Tommy asked, the little boy never liked to see people lonely. 'I came for breakfast and milkshake' Cheryl stated. 'Strawberry milkshake?' The little boy said looking at the half full glass 'that's my favourite' he clapped. 'Mine too' Cheryl replied. 'Mommy's favourite is chocolate' he said scrunching his face up. The little boy chattered away and Cheryl tried to keep up with the quick change of conversation every so often. 'We just moved here' Tommy said matter of factly. 'And what do you think?' Cheryl asked entertaining his chatter. 'I like it here. Mommy doesn't cry anymore because of daddy and I have a new school and new friends' he said not knowing that some things shouldn't be spoken about to strangers. 'Oh' was all Cheryl said not wanting to overstep boundaries. 'Yeah daddy hurt Mommy and then he hurt me so Mommy moved us away'. Cheryl could sympathise knowing all too well what it was like growing up having an abusive father 'I'm sorry about that'. He just shrugged.

'Okay kid, I'm finished go pack up your toys' Toni approached the table again. He slid out the seat and ran over to the table he should have been sat at. Toni looked down at the woman who had kindly sat with her son 'thank you for letting him sit with you, he seems to like you' she smiled. Cheryl looked up 'it's no problem and he's quite the talker'. Toni laughed 'yeah he definitely likes the sound of his own voice'. Cheryl just gave her a small smile. 'Ready' Tommy ran as fast as he could back to his mother. 'Slow down. Okay let's go' Toni said ruffling his curly hair. 'Cheryl do you want to come to the park with us' the little boys eyes landed on the redhead. Tommy was innocent and wasn't interested in social cues, only in making new friends. Toni looked down at her son and then at the redhead 'I mean you're welcome to, I wouldn't mind some adult conversation, if you're not too busy'. Usually Cheryl would say no but the boys wide eyes on her made her feel like she couldn't say no 'okay then'. 'Yayyyy Cheryl is coming to the parkkk' Tommy sang, loud. 'I'm sorry he's... excitable' Toni smiled. That smile made Cheryl feel a way she would rather ignore, she cleared her throat and nodded as she stood up.

Once they were out the door Toni reached down and grabbed hold of Tommy's hand to lead him to the park. When they got to the crossing of the main road to get to the park Cheryl felt a small hand wrap around hers. Human contact wasn't something she was overly comfortable with and her eyes shot to Toni who just smiled at her child's innocence. 'We hold hands when we cross roads to keep safe, right Tommy?'. He nodded at Toni with a smile on his face. Toni held the gate open so Cheryl and Tommy could slip through. 'After you' she smiled. It was obvious that Cheryl and Toni were from different worlds, the redhead seemed well off and well spoken while Toni had struggled her whole life. 'Can I play on the playground first?' Tommy begged. Toni nodded and he ran as fast as he could to the other children. Toni led Cheryl to a bench and sat down, Cheryl following suit.

'So Cheryl, do you have kids?' Toni asked awkwardly trying to start a conversation. 'I don't, I never saw myself being a mother' Cheryl answered simply. 'That's cool, they can be a handful' Toni chuckled 'he's sweet though, he told me he thought you were a Disney princess'. 'He did ask but I've never watched a Disney movie so I was unsure if it was a compliment'. 'It was definitely a compliment and wait you've never watched a Disney movie? Even as a child?'. 'Never. Cartoons weren't a big part of my childhood'. 'Wow, well don't let Tommy hear you say that, he'll want to make you watch every single cartoon he knows' Toni smiled. As they fell silent again Tommy ran back over 'Cheryl could you push me on the swing?'. Cheryl looked at Toni again. 'It's up to you' she smiled. 'Sure' she nodded. 'Yayy' he squealed. This child sure likes to shout the redhead thought to herself. Tommy grabbed Cheryl's hand and pulled her towards the swing. 'Tommy be careful' Toni called after him as he practically dragged the woman.

Toni watched curiously, she had met plenty of people in her life, all sorts of different people but she had never met someone quite like Cheryl. Someone who looked and acted so confident but in the presence of a small child she was so thrown off. Toni could see something else behind her eyes though, the redheads walls were built so high up she wondered if she had much interaction outside of business reasons. She watched as Tommy squealed in delight as Cheryl pushed him on the swing, the redhead obviously not pushing him too hard or high in fear of hurting him. She saw the slight smile on the redheads face as Tommy laughed, that was sweet she thought. She'd definitely try to undo the puzzle that was Cheryl. Tommy skipped back followed by Cheryl. 'Did you guys have fun?' Toni asked. 'Yeah!' Tommy smiled looking up at Cheryl waiting for her answer. Noticing he the pair were waiting on her answer she nodded her head. 'How about a walk around the lake?' Toni stood up, while in the park she allowed Tommy to lead the way but no further than ten foot in front of them.

'So what do you do for a living Cheryl?' Toni asked as they scrolled around the lake. 'I own the Blossom Maple Syrup franchise'. 'Wow that's a great achievement for someone who's what, 27-28?'. 'I'm 29 and not really, it's my family business, I have recently taken over since my parents retired' Cheryl said simply. 'Well still that's really amazing, so Blossom? Is that your surname?' Toni asked. 'Yes Cheryl Blossom'. 'Pretty, I like it' Toni said still looking ahead. Cheryl's eyes widened slightly and looked at Toni but the other woman didn't seem to take any notice of what she had just said.


	5. Chapter 5

'So...' Cheryl broke the silence first this time 'what's your story'. 'Well we recently moved here. Tommy's dad wasn't a kind man and I made the decision to take my son and leave. I got the job at Pops the day we moved into our new apartment, so things are finally looking up' Toni smiled. 'I'm sorry about Tommy's dad' Cheryl gave her a sympathetic look. Toni had noticed in the small time she had known Cheryl showing emotion didn't come easy to her. 'Do you have a partner?' Toni asked. 'A partner?' Cheryl looked confused. 'Yeah, a husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend?'. 'Oh' Cheryl got slightly flustered but soon masked it 'no I don't'. 'Really? That's surprising' Toni said generally shocked. 'It is?' Cheryl raised an eyebrow. 'Of course, you're gorgeous'. Toni was never one to hold back, she generally said what she thought and she didn't think too much into it, plus Toni had thought she was attractive the moment she saw her. 'I don't know about that' was all Cheryl said. Earning her a look from Toni but the shorter woman didn't push.

'Cheryl?'. A voice pulled Toni and the redhead from their casual conversation. _'Here we go'_ the redhead thought as she laid eyes on her best friend approaching them. 'Veronica' Cheryl nodded. 'Cheryl! I was going to call you about a night out?' she smiled 'who's your friend?'. 'Hi I'm Toni' she said holding out her hand and Veronica happily shook it 'Veronica'. 'And I'm Tommy!'. Veronicas eyes landed on a small boy stood beside Cheryl. 'Hello there Tommy, aren't you the cutest little boy'. 'I am' he smiled proudly. 'I'll just take Tom to look at the ducks while you catch up with your friend' Toni smiled at Veronica saying goodbye as she took Tommy's hand and led him away. 'Okay girl spill!' Veronica squealed quietly. 'Ronnie what are you talking about?' Cheryl asked confused. 'Cheryl Blossom at a park with a beautiful woman and her kid, looks rather domestic' she smirked. 'For god sake V' Cheryl rolled her eyes 'she's a friend, she works at the diner'. 'Yeah well it looks good on you'. Cheryl rolled her eyes again 'don't you have anything better to do than bug me?'. 'Actually no but I'll let you carry on with your date. I'll be at your place at 8 tonight, make sure you're ready'. Cheryl chose to ignore the whole date thing and replied with a forced 'fine' knowing she hadn't heard the last of it. After saying their goodbyes Cheryl made her way back over to Toni 'sorry about that she's rather forward'. 'It's fine' Toni smiled.

'Mommy let's race!' Tommy shouted running around hers and Cheryl's legs. 'I don't think so' she started before running forward. 'Hey no fair' Tommy screamed while chasing after her. Cheryl couldn't help the small chuckle escaping her lips, it was so unusual for her to see an adult act like a child as Toni did. Her parents never acted that way, neither did any of her childhood friends parents. As Toni raced back to Cheryl she laughed as she put her arms up in victory. 'You can't win em all kid' she nudged his shoulder. 'Mommy you're a cheat, she cheated right Cheryl?' he looked up at the redhead. She nodded 'she definitely did'. 'Hey! You can't gang up on me' she pretended to pout. 'Then you shouldn't cheat Mommy!'. Both Cheryl and Tommy shared a little smile. 'Okay well I should go' Cheryl smiled 'I have to get ready to go out with Veronica'. 'Oh okay' Toni tried to hide her disappointment, Tommy however did not. His bottom lip began to quiver before he let out a cry. Cheryl's eyes met Toni in panic wondering what had made the young boy burst into tears for no reason. Toni picked him up knowing exactly what was wrong but asking anyway. 'I don't want Cheryl to leave' he cried. Cheryl was surprised to say the least, not knowing what to say. 'Cheryl has to go and see her friend but I'm sure we'll see her again soon'. Tommy lifted his head from his mothers shoulder and looked at the redhead. 'Yeah' Cheryl said hoping to calm him down 'we can come to the park again'. 'See' Toni smiled. She mouthed a thank you to the redhead. 'But wait' Tommy sniffled 'how will we be able to ask you?'. Cheryl faltered. 'How about Mommy gives Cheryl her phone number and then she can call when she's free'. Toni didn't want to force the redhead into anything she didn't want so giving her her phone number Cheryl didn't have to reach out if she didn't want to. Cheryl pulled out her phone and passed it to Toni so she could enter her phone number. 'See all done. Now say goodbye to Cheryl' Toni said to the small boy in her arms. He reached his arms out to the redhead. 'Hey Tommy remember what I said to you about asking' Toni said. He looked at his mom and nodded before looking over to Cheryl. 'Can I hug you bye bye?' he asked. 'Er Okay' Cheryl stuttered. He reached out his arms and she grabbed him from his mother. He wrapped his small arms around her neck mumbling a goodbye before pulling back and reaching out for his mother again. 'Bye Cheryl thank you for today' Toni smiled. 'Goodbye Toni, Tommy' she nodded and turned to make her way home.

Cheryl had to make her way back to Pops first to pick up her red 1961 Chevrolet Impala from the parking lot behind the diner. After getting into the car she started the engine and made her way home. The drive wasn't too far and soon she was home. She opened her automatic gates and parked her car on the drive. The house was fair sized, modern with a pool but also a large garden. Most people could only dream about a house this size especially in the city but for Cheryl it just made her realise how lonely she actually was. She unlocked the door and made her way upstairs to get ready for her night with Veronica. The pair regularly went on nights out together sometimes getting themselves in more trouble than they should but they were both rich and could usually pay their way out of it. Veronica and Cheryl had become business partners a few years prior when they released their maple rum which was and still is more than successful. They had been friends since school though, both attending the same awful boarding school because their parents wanted them to have the _'best education'_ , more like parenting was too hard for them. They had been there for each other through harder times in their life too, Cheryl comforting Veronica after her break ups and Veronica comforting Cheryl when she came out as lesbian and her breakup with Heather years ago.

Cheryl decided on a shower first, then she could take her time getting ready. She turned on the water and waiting for it to get to the correct temperature as she stripped from her clothes. Holding her hand under the pouring water she stepped inside satisfied with the heat. She allowed the water to run over her head and run down her face as she thinks about the strange day she's had. Never did she think she'd agree for a walk in the park with a complete stranger because a child had asked her to. Although kids are definitely not her thing she can't deny the little boy was cute, the way he included her without even knowing her. And his mother, she was definitely Cheryl's type but she had a kid with a man. On the other hand Toni had called her gorgeous, maybe things weren't as black and white as Cheryl thought. She began to wash her hair trying to wash her thoughts away, she was thinking too much into what surely was just a friendly gesture. Her phone began to ring, she decided to ignore it but when it rang again she groaned pushing open the shower door and reaching for her phone. Of course it was Veronicas name flashing across the screen.

Veronica didn't even give Cheryl the chance to speak. 'Girl open the gates I'm outside'. 'V, I'm in the shower. What are you doing here so early?'. 'I thought I'd get ready here, then crash here tonight' she said happily. 'Urgh find give me a minute' she said hanging up. Pulling up the app on her phone she opened the gate. She grabbed her robe from the back of her door wrapping it around her and making her way downstairs to unlock the door. She opened it as Veronica pulled her car up next to Cheryls. 'Hey girl' she waved as she got out pulling her bags from the passenger seat. Cheryl gave her a small wave back. 'To your room?' Veronica asked as she moved passed the redhead. 'Of course' Cheryl smiled grabbing one of the bags from her best friend after she had shut the door. Veronica led the way up the staircase into Cheryl's room like she had many times before. The walls in her room were white with a queens size bed in the middle of the main wall. Of course the bed was covered with red pillows and throws. Above the bed was a large canvas with plump red lips biting into a cherry, very Cheryl Blossom. The window was on the wall left to her bed which overlooked the pool and the garden. The wall across from the bed held a 75 inch flat screen tv which Cheryl used every night before she went to sleep and of course her room was finished off with two doors either side of the tv, one led to a large walk in wardrobe and the other a large en-suite. Against the wall with the door they had just come through from the hallway had Cheryl's dressing table against it.

'So I'll put these in the closet' Veronica said holding up her bags 'then I'll have a quick shower and we can discuss your little walk in the park'. Cheryl groaned, she knew this was the reason her friend had come early, to get information of something that was non existent. She used her time while the raven haired girl was in the shower to dry her hair so they wasn't both fighting over the hair dryer. Just as Cheryl's hair was dry Veronica came out of the bathroom in a robe with her hair wrapped in a towel. She took a seat on the bed and patted the space beside her indicating the redhead sit by her. Cheryl rolled her eyes but complied. They weren't in a rush to get ready and to be honest the clubs stayed open pretty late so it didn't matter too much what time they got there.

As soon as Cheryl sat on her bed the interrogation began. 'So...' Veronica said expectantly. 'So..?' Cheryl had decided on acting dumb because this was ridiculous and nothing had happened of enough significance to talk about it. 'Come on Cheryl, who was the hottie in the park?'. 'Veronica come on' she threw herself back against the pillows. 'You like her don't you' the raven hair girl smirked. 'V she's just a girl from the diner, it was literally nothing'. 'Well if it was nothing give me the details'. 'Fine...' Cheryl sat back up 'Toni works at the diner, she must have had to bring her son along because she had no one to sit him. Anyway he ended up at my table and asked me if I was a Disney princess'. 'Little charmer' Veronica interrupted. Cheryl nodded. 'When Toni saw him she apologised and took him back to his table, no more than ten minutes later he was back but this time he had drawn me a picture'. She reached for her coat at the bottom of her bed and pulled out the folded paper passing it to Veronica. 'Oh my gosh that's adorable' she smiled. 'Anyway Toni came over when she saw him and scolded him again but I told her he could stay there until she had finished her shift'.

Veronica paused and stood up as if she'd just heard something impossible. 'Wait' she said holding out her hand to refrain the redhead from speaking 'you, Cheryl Blossom, allowed a child, I repeat a child to sit with you voluntarily?'. 'V, you're making a big deal out of nothing' Cheryl shrugged. 'Okay what happened next?' Veronica asked taking her place on the bed again. 'Toni thanked me and they invited me to the park. Well Tommy did but Toni agreed'. 'And you said yes?' Veronicas mouth wide open. 'Obviously' Cheryl said bluntly. 'Okay and?' Veronica needed more information. 'And what? That was it I saw you and then later on told them I had to leave. Tommy cried a little and Toni ended up giving me her phone number to calm him down which worked'. 'You got her number, get it girl' Veronica laughed. 'It's not like that, plus she has a kid' Cheryl said like it was a valid excuse and normally it would be but Veronica didn't fall for it this time. 'Normally I would agree with the whole kid thing but I'm not buying it this time'. 'Then don't buy it' Cheryl stood up and sent her a wink, if Veronica was going to insist on pushing then she'd push back 'I need to start getting ready'.


	6. Chapter 6

'So...' Veronica started as she sat on Cheryl's bed surrounded with make up and a large mirror that she had placed at the end of the bed so she could she what she was doing 'have you text her yet?'. 'What?' Cheryl asked, it had literally been fifteen minutes and Veronica had started up the conversation about Toni again. 'Have you text Toni yet?'. 'No why would I?' Cheryl asked looking at Veronica through her dressing table mirror. 'I dunno Cheryl maybe to say you had a good time or whatever'. 'Veronica I'm sure she's got her hands full with Thomas and doesn't need me bothering her' the redhead shrugged. 'Oh my god you do like her. Since when are you bothered about bothering anybody else?'. 'Will you drop it' Cheryl huffed. 'You're not even denying it. Text her and I'll drop it' Veronica dared her. 'Fine, what shall I say?'. 'That you had a good time or whatever'.

Cheryl picked up her phone and searched Toni's name in her contacts, when she saw it her heart fluttered for some reason, Cheryl had hooked up with girls in her past as an adult but none of them made her feel any type of way. She shook her head clicking on the send message option.

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_Hi Toni, it's Cheryl. I just wanted to say thank you for the invite to the park._

'Happy?' Cheryl said throwing Veronica the phone 'can we drop it now?'. 'We can but she's replied'. Veronica smirked. 'She has?' Cheryl asked reaching out for the phone.

_Toni Topaz_   
_Hi Cheryl! It was no problem, we had a great time. Tommy hasn't stopped talking about you, thank you for being so kind to him, I know he's very forward._

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_I had a great time too. And it's fine he's a great kid._

_Toni Topaz_   
_He is. Have a great night!_

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_You too._

'She totally likes you' Veronica smiled. 'Shut up' Cheryl blushed. 'Are you actually blushing right now, oh my god!' Veronica clasped a hand over her mouth. 'V, please drop it' Cheryl pleaded she couldn't take this all night. 'Okay fine, just for tonight though'. 'Thank you' Cheryl breathed. She'd only known the girl a day, well technically they first met on Monday, and she was already feeling weird about the whole situation. Admittedly Cheryl thought the waitress was attractive as soon as she set eyes on her but she wouldn't tell Veronica that. She finished off her make up before moving to styling her long locks. As usual she opted for loose curls, it didn't take up too much time but it looked good and generally stayed in place. When Veronica was done with her makeup they swapped places so the other girl could style her hair. Cheryl decided on picking up the make up now so it wasn't scattered all over the bed later on when they got home.

'How's Archie and Reggie?' Cheryl smirked as she flopped on the bed after cleaning up the mess Veronica had made. 'They're both still fighting for my heart' she laughed. 'V, don't you think you should choose one?' Cheryl asked. 'Why? They both know the deal, I'm a free single woman, no need for me to settle down yet'. 'Whatever you say V' Cheryl shrugged. 'Anyway maybe I don't want to be in a relationship with either of them, it's all fun Cheryl you know that'. 'I guess but I'm definitely coming home alone tonight, well apart from you tagging along'. 'Wow Blossom Toni's got you whipped already'. Cheryl shot her a look and Veronica lifted her hands in surrender. All that was left to do now was to get dressed.

'Shall we head to Blue Moon to eat before hitting the club?' Veronica asked. 'Sure I'm starving'. They went to the closet so Cheryl could choose her outfit and Veronica could get hers out of her bag. Veronica had chose a low cut simple black dress and killer black heels. Cheryl on the other hand had opted for a long sleeved red sequin dress that complimented her long legs and of course her own pair of red killer heels. 'Looking good Blossom' Veronica smiled at her friend. 'Not so bad yourself Lodge' Cheryl returned her smile. They took multiple selfies, posting them to their Instagram. They double checked they had everything they needed in their purse before the redhead pulled out her phone and ordered a Uber to take them to their first destination.

The Uber pulled up outside the Blue Moon, the restaurant was high end and normally booked up but Cheryl and Veronica knew the owner from when they did a deal with him regarding their maple rum. They were used to the moans from other customers queueing to get in as they walked straight through the doors to the VIP area. They were seated instantly and given a menu. 'So what are you having?' Veronica asked still looking down at the menu. 'I think I'm going to have the roasted red pepper pasta' Cheryl shrugged. 'Hmm that's sounds good, I think I'll have the same' Veronica smiled. 'What can I say I have good taste'. 'That you do my redheaded bestie'. The waiter approached their table as soon as he saw them place down their menus. 'Ms Blossom, Ms Lodge, I'll be your server, my name is Brad. What can I get you this evening' he asked politely. 'Hi Brad' Veronicas eyes trailing his body 'we would both like the roasted red pepper pasta and a glass of your best red wine'. 'I'll be right back ma'am' he smiled after taking down their order and heading into the kitchen.

'Oh my god V' Cheryl just rolled her eyes. 'What he's hot? Plus you have an eye for waiters yourself or should I say waitresses' she laughed jiggling her eyebrows. 'You're insufferable'. 'You love me though' Veronica winked as she pulled out her phone and checked them into the restaurant on her social media. That was the difference with Cheryl and Veronica. The raven haired girl loved showing off her fortune, she was rich and didn't care who knew it. Cheryl on the other hand didn't, looking at her you could tell she had money but she wasn't really one to show it off, especially as she got older. 'So plans for tonight?' Cheryl asked. 'Well I say we eat here and enjoy a few glasses of wine before moving to La Bonne Nuit and spending the night partying there'. La Bonne Nuit was a extremely large night club, Veronica had been on the verge of buying it a few years but changed her mind last minute, she wanted to have fun in a club not run one. 'Sounds good to me' Cheryl agreed. Soon enough the waiter was back with their food. After thanking him he moved on to serve other customers. 'This looks delicious' Veronica said as she took a photo of her plate, she lifted up her glass towards the redhead 'to a good night'. Cheryl lifted her glass and clinked it against Veronicas with a quiet 'cheers'.

The alcohol felt good as it slid down her throat, Cheryl was glad she agreed to have a night out with Veronica. As much as she faked annoyance at the brunette she loved her dearly and enjoyed spending time with her , especially when they decided to get drunk together. They enjoyed their meal with the general chit chat between friends before calling Brad back to removed their plates and instead of a glass of wine this time Veronica ordered a full bottle. 'Tonight's gonna be a good night Red' she winked causing Cheryl to smirk, tonight's gonna be a good night. After around an hour of sitting in the restaurant the pair had started to become slightly tipsy and called for their bill. 'I've got this' the brunette smiled as she filled out the check, leaving a huge $100 tip for the waiter. It wasn't unusual for one of the girls to take care of the check, they never split the bill and they always tipped well. Money really was no object for them. Cheryl pulled out her phone and ordered another Uber to get them to La Bonne Nuit even though it was in a easy walking distance.

The queue to the restaurant was even bigger when they left and got into their Uber. 'It's crazy to me the amount of time people will wait just to get in there' Veronica stated. 'Well I guess not everyone has it as easy as us' Cheryl shrugged. 'Yeah, being poor must be hard'. 'V!' Cheryl scolded, the brunette didn't mean any harm in her words but it still sounded rather insensitive. Veronica wasn't a bad person though, they had both done their fair share of charity work around the city such as feeding the homeless and gifting toys to the children at the children's hospital. On a fair amount of occasions they had also paid people's medical bills, it didn't affect their life's but it helped someone else's life enormously. They pulled up to the club and unsurprisingly there was a line of young people waiting to get in. 'Ready for the hate?' Veronica laughed as she opened the door, getting out of the Uber and linking arms with Cheryl. They approached the bouncer without even looking at the people waiting to get in. 'Ladies' he greeted them as he passed them a VIP wristband and removed the rope allowing them through. The crowd outside obviously moaning and throwing insults at the pair but they paid them no mind as they walked up the stairs and through the doors to the main area of the club.

They didn't even need to show their bands on the way into the VIP area, everyone knew who they were. They had a private booth with a small private bar, often the girls would set their eye on a partner to spend the night up there with them, where they'd spend their time dancing, getting drunk and making out. Cheryl hadn't had anything serious since she was a teenager but she had hooked up with some of the same people a couple of times resulting in her either getting bored or the girls got to clingy and obsessed and she simply cut them off. They went to the bar and ordered their drinks before going to the balcony and watching the people below on the dance floor. 'So, see anyone you like?' Veronica nudged Cheryl's shoulder. 'No, I told you V I don't feel like hooking up, I'm going home alone tonight'. 'I know but nothings stopping us from inviting a few hotties up here' she smirked. Cheryl just shrugged not wanting to argue about it but knowing she wasn't in the mood to interact with random strangers tonight. In fact her mind moved to the women she had spent the afternoon with. Shaking her head she turned to Veronica 'shots?'. 'Girl you are speaking my language' Veronica smiled dragging the redhead back to the bar.


	7. Chapter 7

The music was loud and the alcohol buzzing through her body made Cheryl feel free, she danced near the bar as she ordered herself and Veronica another drink. 'Hey Cheryl should we go down to the main dance floor?' Veronica asked. 'Sure' Cheryl knew she said she didn't want to be near strangers but she just felt like dancing. They left their purses and such in the VIP area and made their way down the stairs. Veronica had Cheryl's hand in her own as they moved towards the dance floor. When they reached their destination Veronica span Cheryl around with a giggle as they danced together. It was provocative and gained a lot of attention from people around them but every time someone tried to dance their way over to them they laughed and moved away. A couple of times if strangers didn't get the message they'd have to verbally tell them to leave them alone. They were here to have fun together tonight, nothing more.

The brunette and redhead were just on their way back up the stair for more drinks after dancing up a thirst. Hand in hand they pulled each other up the stairs in between drunken giggles. 'Hey Cheryl!'. Cheryl turned to Veronica with a _'great'_ before turning around to face the person calling her. 'I'll meet you in our booth' Veronica said to Cheryl as she shot a glance to the girl stood behind the redhead. 'Madison, can I help you?' Cheryl put on her best fake smile. Madison was Cheryl's most recent hook up, it only happened a couple of times and to Cheryl it was nothing serious but the other girl got weirdly attached. The redhead cut it off instantly and the girl wouldn't leave her alone. Don't get it wrong Madison was beautiful, long brunette hair, tall, sun kissed skin but Cheryl just wasn't feeling a relationship with the woman. 'I've missed you Cheryl'. 'Look Madison I've told you it was a short term thing, nothing serious' the redhead shrugged. 'I thought what we had was special, you made me feel things I've never felt before' the brunette smiled stepping towards Cheryl and twisting a piece of her red hair in her fingers. Cheryl cringed inwardly. 'Madison I'm sorry but the feelings not mutual, plus I'm not looking for a relationship right now'. Cheryl was holding the rail to keep herself upright suddenly aware of how much alcohol she had drank. 'Look I've got to go' Cheryl turned around and made her way back to Veronica in the VIP area leaving Madison stood on the stairs.

'What the hell was that about?' Veronica asked with her nose scrunched up as Cheryl plopped down next to her. 'She was basically confessing her love for me' Cheryl answered her facial features mimicking the brunettes. 'Ew desperate much?'. 'I know right' Cheryl laughed. They had a little more to drink before looking at their phone and it reading 3am. 'Maybe we should call it a night?' Veronica asked as the redhead was leaning on her shoulder. 'Sounds good' she mumbled. Veronica pulled out her phone and ordered a Uber to pick them up in fifteen minutes. They gathered their belongings and held on to each other as the stumbled out of the club. 'Pizza?' Cheryl asks as she points across the street to the pizza shop. Veronica nods and they navigate their way through drunken bodies stood in the street. A large pizza ordered and carefully balanced in their hands they made their way back across the street to the Uber that had just arrived.

They kicked off their shoes as soon as they got through the front door and went straight into the kitchen putting the pizza on the island in the middle of the large room. Pulling themselves up on the stools they opened the pizza box and dug in like they'd never been fed before, laughing drunkenly as the pizza burnt their mouths. Cheryl pulled out her phone and only just noticed all of her notifications sighing at the multiple messages from Madison, she must have text her the minute she spotted her in the club. She also had multiple social media tags from Veronica who felt the need to tag her in everything she uploaded throughout the night. Rolling her eyes as she went through it 'Madison has literally messaged me a worryingly amount of time' her eyes lifted to look at the brunette. 'She's borderline psycho girl, cut her off' Veronica said pushing another slice of pizza into her mouth. 'I've tried, she won't drop it' Cheryl shrugged as she carried on scrolling through her notifications until she noticed a message at the bottom from _Toni Topaz._ Her eyes flicked to Veronica before she clicked on message.

_Toni Topaz_   
_*Video attached*_   
_Sorry Cheryl but for some reason Tommy said he couldn't go to sleep without sending you this. I hope we're not bothering you too much, have a good night and stay safe!_

Cheryl clicked on the video turning up the volume. A smiling Tommy appeared on the screen waving vigorously. She heard Toni in the background tell him to start so she could get him to bed. _'Hi Cheryl! Thank you for coming with me and Mommy to the park. It was fun. Okay goodnight'._ Cheryl didn't know what to think and to be frank she didn't have time to speak because Veronica's eyes were wide on her. 'Okay what the hell was that?' Veronica asked. 'A message from Tommy saying goodnight I guess, Toni said he wouldn't go to bed until she had sent it' Cheryl wasn't sure of what to make of it, she'd never received anything like this before so she was out of her comfort zone. 'That is the cutest thing ever' Veronica squealed. 'Okay calm down' Cheryl laughed. She locked her phone deciding it was too late to reply now. 'I'm going to bed' Cheryl signed pushing herself off the stool and barely making her way to her room. She stripped out of her dress and put on some pyjamas she had prepared earlier. It didn't take long before Veronica was in her room too. 'I have guest rooms you know?' Cheryl raised an eyebrow. 'I know' Veronica shrugged. The brunette always did this, if she stayed at Cheryl's and they came home alone she would crawl in next to her best friend. Cheryl didn't really mind it either if she was honest, it was nice not to be in this huge house by herself every so often.

'Did you text her back?' Veronica asked as she crawled under the duvet. 'Huh?' Cheryl grunted as she was pulled from her thoughts. 'Toni, did you message her back?'. 'Isn't it a little late?' Cheryl asked. 'Nah most people have their phone on silent and it looks like that little boy is missing you already. He'll be glad you replied'. Cheryl thought about it, she didn't want Tommy to be disappointed when he woke up if she didn't reply, she didn't know what time she would be waking up and she didn't want to keep him waiting. 'Fine' she said as she reached over to grab her phone pulling up the message from Toni before typing on the screen.

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_Hi Toni, sorry for the late reply, I hope it doesn't wake you. Tell Tommy I said Goodnight although it's definitely too late now. Also tell him the visit to the park was my pleasure. Goodnight Toni._

'Happy?' she asked turning to her friend but Veronica had already fell asleep. Her mind drifted back to the mother and son, if on the slight chance Toni was interested in her could she really deal with a child being involved. Sure he was cute and well behaved but would Cheryl even be a good role model. Her parents never cared for her well-being they only groomed her from a young age to take over the family business. She had zero experience with children and she had decided a long time ago that she wasn't going to have them to prevent messing them up the same way her parents had messed her up. Also if things got serious there would be another person involved, someone else who could get hurt, an innocent little boy and she didn't want that. She shook her head at her drunk mind making up unreal scenarios. She was sure her and Toni could become friends, surely that made more sense. She turned over facing away from Veronica as she willed sleep to take over her exhausted body and eventually it did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed these new chapters. There will be another update tomorrow! :)


	8. Chapter 8

Toni woke up with her arms wrapped around a little body. Tommy must have snuck into her bed in the middle of the night, it had gotten less common as he got older but every now and again Toni would wake up with a small body next to hers. She couldn't say she minded though, he was growing up faster then she would like to admit and moments like this made it feel like time had stopped. She untangled herself, careful not to wake up her sleeping son and grabbed her phone from the nightstand to check the time. It was 9am Toni took that as a win and it was definitely a lay in for her. She noticed she had a text message from Cheryl that had been delivered five hours ago. Toni opened it glad she had received a reply from the redhead.

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_Hi Toni, sorry for the late reply, I hope it doesn't wake you. Tell Tommy I said goodnight although it's definitely too late now. Also tell him the visit to the park was my pleasure. Goodnight Toni._

Toni's heart skipped a beat for reasons she didn't understand, pushing the feeling away she decided it couldn't hurt to reply. Cheryl seemed like a nice enough person and Tommy liked her so maybe they could build at least a friendship. She pondered for a moment wondering what to type, did they even really have anything in common? Long gone were the days of Toni going on a night out with her friends and coming home in the early hours of the morning, she was a mother now and her son came first. Maybe when she had settled into the city more she could find a decent sitter and treat herself every now and again. She was still young wouldn't mind hanging out with some friends in the evening although if it never happened she wouldn't mind either. Leaving her son with a stranger didn't sit right with her. She pulled the phone up to her face again and decided on a casual reply to the redhead.

_Toni Topaz_   
_I'll let him know, I'm sure he'll be happy to hear from you, he's still asleep at the moment. How was your night?_

She thought leaving it with a question would hopefully start a decent conversation between the two. Surprisingly her phone lit up with a notification practically straight away.

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_I'm glad somebody's managing to get some sleep, unfortunately for me Veronica kicks in her sleep and there's a good chance my legs are bruised. My night was good, not too much drama so that was a win._

_Toni Topaz_   
_Yeah at some point in the night he snuck into my bed, I can't bring myself to tell him not to. And are you and Veronica a thing? Not too much drama, what happened?_

_Toni Topaz_   
_Also feel free to tell me to mind my own business, I lack adult conversation after spending all my time with a five year old boy!_

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_It's fine. You're a good mom for letting him stay with you, my parents would never have allowed that with me. And no Veronica and I are best friends, we have been for years, she's as straight as a ruler. And a little unwanted interaction with a person I no longer wanted to communicate with that's all._

Toni stopped in her tracks as she read _'She's as straight as a ruler'_ surely someone that's also straight wouldn't use that phrase but she shook her head not wanting to jump to conclusions. If she was honest with herself though she was surprised that the redhead was interacting with her so much, she seemed a lot more... reserved at the park. It was nice though she hadn't had another adult to talk with for a while.

_Toni Topaz_   
_Is that your way of saying you ran into an ex?_

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_Definitely not an ex more like someone I 'spent' time with once or twice. She wanted something serious, I didn't._

Toni couldn't help the way her jaw fell when she read _'she'_. That was a definite sign the redhead was into women. Cheryl was basically telling Toni that she had an unwanted run in with one of her hook ups. She wasn't exactly sure of what to reply to that.

_Toni Topaz_   
_Yeah I get that, I've definitely had my fair share of clingy women that didn't know the difference between a bit of fun and a relationship. That was of course before I had my son._

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_Really?_

_Toni Topaz_   
_Yeah, you seem surprised?_

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_I apologise, I just assumed._

_Toni Topaz_   
_No need to apologise._

Cheryl didn't reply, partly because she was embarrassed for just assuming Toni's sexuality and also because Veronica had just woken up and demanded they go to pops for coffee. They showered and got ready for their little coffee date deciding on taking both cars so they could make their own way home later on. After parking behind the diner they walked inside, the familiar bell ringing as they entered as they took a seat. 'I really could have used a day at home V' Cheryl moaned. 'Nonsense Cheryl it's a beautiful day'. Pop approached the table with a kind smile like he always did. 'What can I get for you ladies?'. 'Just a black coffee for me please' Cheryl smiled. 'And I'll take the same please Pop' Veronica added. 'Coming right up'.

Pop brought over their coffees and left them to serve other customers. The pair were in the middle of a casual conversation when the bell above the door caught their attention and in walked Toni with Tommy holding on to her hand. They heard as Pop greeted them and took their order. 'This is perfect' Veronica smirked. Cheryl was just filling her in on the text messages she had exchanged this morning with the woman who just walked through the door. Cheryl rolled her eyes knowing her friend wouldn't be able to help herself but try and play matchmaker. The mother and son just turned to walk towards the seating area when the small boys eyes set on the redhead. His eyes lit up and his smiled widened as he shouted Cheryl's name and ran over to her table. Toni not two steps behind him. Just as he reached the table Toni managed to grab a hold of his arm. 'Tommy it's not polite to run over to someone else's table' she said looking at him. 'But Cheryl's my friend' he pouted. 'No buts come on let's find a seat' she lifted her head to Cheryl and Veronica 'I'm really sorry, he's still working on his manners' she said looking down at her son. 'Nonsense please join us' Veronica said as she motioned at the seats across from them. Before Toni had time to refuse Tommy was already sliding into the seat, she nodded at Veronica in thanks as she slid in next to her son.

'Hi Cheryl' Toni smiled earning her a small smile and an hello back. 'It's funny we was just talking about you' Veronica said looking at Toni earning her a not so subtle kick under the table from Cheryl. Just as Toni was about to speak Pop came over with their order. 'One chocolate milkshake and one strawberry milkshake for my favourite little man' he said as he put their drinks in front of them. 'Thank you Pop' Toni smiled. 'Thanks Pop' Tommy mumbled out with a mouth full of milkshake, Toni just shook her head but moved her attention back to Veronica. 'So what were you talking about?'. 'Cheryl was telling me how much she enjoyed spending the day with you guys yesterday'. Cheryl thanked her lucky stars, Veronica loved to see her squirm so she's glad that's all she said. 'Yeah we enjoyed it too, right Tommy?'. The little boy nodded enthusiastically while paying most of his attention to his milkshake. 'So what are you guys up to today?' Veronica asked trying to conduct some sort of plan in her head. 'I think we're just having a milkshake and then going for a scroll around the park' Toni answered. 'Oh that sounds cool, we we're just talking about visiting the zoo today. Right Cheryl?' Veronica turned to face the redhead who'd barely said anything. 'We were?' Cheryl raised an eyebrow. Tommy's eyes widened at Veronica at the mention of the zoo. 'There's a zoo here?' Tommy tried to contain his excitement. 'Yeah, the best one in the country. You're both welcome to come, my treat' Veronica smiled. 'Oh thank you but that's not necessary' Toni started as Tommy looked at her sadly before Cheryl spoke up. 'I wouldn't even bother declining, Veronica doesn't take no for an answer'. 'So can we go Mommy?'. 'If it's okay with Cheryl' Toni looked at the redhead. 'Fine with me' Cheryl smiled at the little boy.

They had all finished their drinks and Toni had just taken Tommy to the bathroom leaving Cheryl and Veronica at the table alone. 'Okay what was that?' Cheryl asked. 'What? I just thought it would be nice for Toni to have some adult conversation and Tommy seems really excited for the zoo' Veronica answered sweetly. 'Whatever plan you have in your head drop it' Cheryl said knowing it would fall on deaf ears. 'Hey I think Toni is pretty cool, if you don't want to be friends with her fine but I think her and I would make great pals'. 'Whatever you say V' Cheryl rolled her eyes. Veronica wasn't lying though, her and Toni had gotten on really well, the conversation over coffees and milkshakes had flowed really well. Veronica liked her which is more than she can say for the majority of Cheryl's past interests. 'Okay we're ready' Toni said as they came out of the bathroom. The brunette and redhead stood up and Tommy ran right to Cheryl taking her hand in his. 'Let's go' he smiled as he led her out of the diner first, Toni and Veronica just behind them. 'He's so cute' Veronica smiled at Toni 'I've never seen Cheryl with a kid before, she normally avoids them at all costs'. Toni didn't take offence she just chuckled 'yeah well he's confident and knows how to use his cuteness to get what he wants. It's the first time he's attached to someone we've just met though so she must have something good about her'. 'Yeah, she's the best. Well once you get past the reserved side of her' Veronica shrugged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, I've only just woken up and it's almost midnight! Lazy I know! I'll be uploading three chapters tonight because it's driving me mad that I'm leaving the chapters on odd numbers lol!
> 
> I Hope you enjoy and follow me on my new twitter if you're in to that sort of thing @Thunderstorms92


	9. Chapter 9

They got outside they went around the back to the parking lot. 'Cheryl wanna take your car?' Veronica asked. 'Sure' she said leading the little boy and the women to her car. 'This is your car?' Toni asked 'it's impressive'. 'It was my Nanas, us Blossoms have a thing for Red' she said opening the door so Tommy and Toni could climb in the back while her and Veronica sat in the front. Once everyone was buckled in Cheryl started the engine and put the car in drive. The zoo was a thirty minute drive from Pops and Tommy didn't stop staring out of the window. Everything was so new to him, so big and busy, he's never been to a zoo before so the excitement was buzzing through his body. 'What animal are you looking forward to seeing the most Tommy?' Veronica asked turning around in her seat. He brought his finger to his chin in thought. 'Hmm a crocodile! Snap snap snap' he shouted. 'A crocodile? That's a good choice' Veronica smiled. 'Cheryl what's your favourite?' the little boy smiled. 'A lion because they have red hair like me' Cheryl smiled looking in the rear view mirror. 'Wow a lion?' Tommy smiled as Cheryl nodded. 'Ver... Veron...' Tommy started but quickly got frustrated as he couldn't pronounce Veronicas name. 'Veronica' Toni tried to encourage him but he still couldn't get it out. 'Just call me Ronnie' the brunette smiled. The small boy smiled and nodded. 'What's your favourite animal Ronnie?'. The woman pretended to think about it before answering. 'I like the butterfly exhibit, there's lots of pretty butterflies'. Tommy chuckled 'Mommy's scared of butterflies'. 'What? Why?' Cheryl moved her eyes to Toni through the mirror as she laughed. Toni could listen to that laugh all day. 'They creep me out okay?' Toni grumbled as she turned to tickle the little boy.

Soon enough Cheryl pulled the car into the parking lot while Toni turned to Tommy. 'Okay listen before we get out you stay close to Mommy, Cheryl or Ronnie okay? You must always be holding a hand and you don't run off'. He nodded 'okay Mommy'. Cheryl and Veronica got out first, Cheryl opening the door for Tommy and Toni to climb out. Of course Tommy grabbed Cheryl's hand. 'Looks like Tommy's picked his zoo partner' Toni laughed. 'Guess it's me and you T' Veronica smiled. 'Yeah it's a good job you're here or I'd be third wheeling' Toni laughed. Toni felt like her and Veronica had known each other forever, she was positive they'd be good friends. Veronica made her way to the ticket stand leaving Toni, Cheryl and Tommy. 'Thank you for letting us join' Toni smiled. 'It's my pleasure' Cheryl smiled genuinely this time, trying to relax a little bit. For some reason Toni made Cheryl feel on edge, not in a bad way but she didn't want to make a fool of herself.

'Okay we're set' Veronica said holding up the tickets 'and look at this' she looked at Tommy holding up a badge with a crocodile on it. 'Woooow thank you Ronnie!' he said excitedly as Veronica clipped it on to his t-shirt. 'Okay let's go' Veronica said leading the way through the gates. The zoo was huge and they had a lot of animals to explore through the day. The first lot of animals they saw were small, such as meerkats and tortoises. Tommy spent an even amount of time at each enclosure as he listen intensely to Cheryl who was reading the information to him from the boards. Toni thought it was the cutest thing and so did Veronica. While Cheryl was distracted with Tommy Veronica decided to get to know Toni better. 'So Toni?' Veronica said pulling Toni's attention from Cheryl who was explaining the animals to her son 'tell me something about you'. 'Not really much to tell, Tommy and I have just moved here from an abusive relationship. Finally we've found a place where we can be happy' she smiled. 'I'm glad to hear you're happy, so I guess you're just finding your feet then'. 'Yeah everything's working out for the better. It's nice to have met new people already though, being a single parent can be lonely sometimes' Toni shrugged. 'I get that but you've got new friends now' Veronica smiled 'here put your number in' the brunette passed over her phone so Toni could enter her number before handing it back. 'I've sent you a text so now you have my number too'. 'Thanks Veronica' Toni said pulling out her phone before sliding it back in her pocket.

'What's going on?' Cheryl eyed Veronica warily. 'Toni and I are just exchanging phone numbers so we can stay in touch' Veronica shrugged. 'Oh okay, be careful Toni it's hard to get her to shut up once she's started talking' Cheryl smirked. 'Shut up, don't worry I'm not gonna steal your girl, come on Tommy' Veronica said taking Tommy's hand leaving Cheryl and Toni stunned at what she had just said. Cheryl was going to kill her later. 'Sorry about her' Cheryl said looking anywhere but Toni 'she likes to push my buttons by saying the first thing that comes to her mind'. 'No problem' Toni said awkwardly. 'Shall we?' Cheryl gestured to following Veronica. 'Yeah' Toni nodded not saying another word. 'Mommy look' Tommy said pointing at the monkeys. 'Oh yeah little monkeys just like you' she grabbed hold of her son and threw him in the air as she tickled him. He giggled shouting for help from Cheryl and Veronica, when she placed him back down on the ground he wrapped his arms around his moms legs in a hug before pulling away and looking back up at the monkeys.

They carried on through the zoo Tommy spending his time between the women holding their hands and letting them explain the facts about the different animals. 'Toni I don't want to alarm you but we have to go through the butterfly exhibit to get to the next part of the zoo' Veronica said with Tommy's hands in hers. 'I'm sorry what?' Toni's face dropped. 'Don't worry Mommy they won't hurt you' Tommy smiled. 'Okay let's go' she followed Veronica and Tommy through the door with Cheryl by her side. It wasn't so bad at first, there were some small birds walking across the floor by their feet and the odd butterfly but nothing coming too close to them. The enclosure was like a mini rainforest with trees and plants and one path that they had to follow. Tommy was busy laughing and smiling with Veronica pointing to everything he spotted. Toni on the other hand had her hands clenched into tight fists, she knew it was irrational but it freaked her out nonetheless. Cheryl must have picked up on Toni's fear because she put her hand on the other woman's shoulder to ask if she was okay. Toni just nodded as she kept her eyes forward. Unfortunately as they got halfway through the enclosure the butterflies were surrounding them and Toni completely freaked out. Tommy didn't seem phased he'd seen her freak out over butterflies many times. 'Tommy stay with Ronnie while you look at the butterflies, I'll be waiting for you' she said as she passed them to get to the exit as quick as she could, she didn't want to spoil the experience for him. Tommy nodded looking at Veronica. Cheryl quickly followed Toni to make sure she was alright. Veronica looked on with a curious eye, her thoughts about Toni and Cheryl might just work out. She turned her attention back to Tommy as she pointed to the butterflies.

'Hey are you okay?' Cheryl asked as she caught Toni up outside. 'I'm fine now' she said as she calmed herself down 'made a fool of myself though' she laughed. 'Hey no' Cheryl said putting her hand on Toni's arm, sending goosebumps through the woman's body. 'I kinda did, you didn't have to follow me out though' Toni looked at Cheryl. 'I wanted to make sure you were okay plus Veronica will enjoy showing Tommy the different kind of butterflies. Do you want to take a seat'. 'I'm fine Cheryl, thank you though'. Someone clearing their throat caused Cheryl to remove her hand from Toni's arm. 'I hope we're not interrupting' Veronica smirked. 'Mommy are you okay?' Tommy ran over as Toni bent down to hug him, the scene made Cheryl's heart melt. 'I'm fine baby, Mommy just got freaked out' she kissed his head 'shall we keep going now the worse bit is over?' Toni laughed. She took Tommy's hand as they walked forward while Veronica turned to Cheryl sending her a wink.

'Crocodiles!' Tommy squealed looking back at Cheryl and Veronica. He pressed his face against the glass in awe. 'He looks like a dinosaur' he jumped as the croc pulled himself out of the water. 'Cheryl can you read the board to me?' He asked sweetly. 'Please' Toni corrected. 'Please' he repeated after his mom. 'Sure' Cheryl smiled as she moved closer to him. Cheryl could feel Tommy's eyes on her but she could also feel Toni's eyes on her, she tried to concentrate on what was she saying, knowing if she stuttered Veronica would be straight there to tease her. When he was satisfied with the crocodiles they continued through the zoo. Toni snapped photos of the little boy every now and again wanting the capture his happy face. They spent time chatting to each other as they walked through the zoo. Cheryl had opened up more, joining in with jokes and smiling widely at Tommy whenever he got excited. They were all having a great day and Cheryl can't remember when she had had this much fun sober. 'Cheryl!' Tommy ran up to her with his arms in the air. As she reached to pick him up he jumped into her arms. 'Look, look the lions, your favourite!'. 'Shall we go and take a look?' The redhead smiled as he nodded his head and giggled. 'She's good with him' Toni said looking at Veronica. 'Yeah, he's definitely brought a side out to her that I've never seen before' Veronica nodded 'and we've known each other since we were kids'. 'Really?' Toni asked. 'One hundred percent' Veronica nodded.

Coming to the exit of the zoo the group noticed you had to leave through a gift shop. 'Mommy please can I get a toy to remind me of the best day ever?' Tommy gave her his biggest puppy eyes. 'Okay but only one and nothing too extravagant' Toni laughed. 'Actually Toni, would you mind if I treated him to something?' Cheryl asked with her eyes on the ground suddenly feeling insecure. 'Are you sure? You don't have to do that' Toni said looking between her son and Cheryl. 'I'd like to' Cheryl smiled. 'Okay Cheryl thank you'. She looked down to her son 'remember nothing too much'. 'Come on Toni we can wait by the car if you'd like?' Veronica said. As she walked out of the gift shop with Veronica she hoped Tommy would behave himself. The pair stood by Cheryl's car chatting as they waited for the redhead and little boy to leave the shop. It wasn't long before Cheryl and Tommy were walking over to the car. The biggest grin on Tommy's face as he struggled to carry the giant crocodile with Cheryl's help. Veronica laughed as she took in the sheepish look on Cheryl's face. 'Tommy what happened to nothing extravagant' Toni laughed. 'Cheryl let me give you the money I'm sure that was expensive' Toni reached into her pocket to grab her wallet. Cheryl just held out her arm 'it was my pleasure, please my treat'. Toni just huffed but still sending a smile to Cheryl 'thank you. Tommy what do you say'. 'Thank you Cheryl!' He beamed. 'Okay little man let's get you in the car' Toni laughed.


	10. Chapter 10

'Looks like the little man has passed out' Toni said as Tommy lent on her arm as he snored quietly. 'Looks like someone's had a tiring day' Cheryl smiled through the mirror. 'Hey Cheryl could you drop me at Pops so I can get my car' Veronica asked. 'Sure. Toni I'll drive you home if you'd like' Cheryl asked. 'Yes please if you don't mind' Toni smiled. They pulled into Pops and said their goodbyes to Veronica promising to see each other soon. 'Okay where am I taking you?' Cheryl turned to Toni. The shorter woman gave Cheryl her address and they set off with a quick wave to Veronica. The roads were pretty clear and since Pops was only a twenty minute walk from Toni's it only ended up being a five minute drive. Toni directed Cheryl to the apartment parking lot.

'Do you need any help?' Cheryl asked looking at Toni. 'I don't want to bother you' Toni said looking back at the redhead. 'Don't be silly, let me help you'. Toni nodded 'thank you, I'll get Tommy, could you get his giant crocodile' she laughed. 'Sure' she smiled. Cheryl opened the door so Toni could get out before she turned back into the car cradling her son in her arms. He was getting heavy now he was getting older. Cheryl reached in picking up the crocodile and locking up the car following Toni into the building. After climbing multiple flights of stairs Toni turned to Cheryl 'the apartment is nothing much but it's ours'. 'Toni I don't care about that' Cheryl smiled. 'Cheryl I'm really sorry but could you reach into my back pocket and pull out my keys, my hands are full' she asked awkwardly. 'Erm sure' Cheryl reached into Toni's jean pocket and pulled out the keys 'do you want me to unlock it?'. 'Please' the shorter woman nodded. Toni motioned for Cheryl to go in first and she followed quietly pushing the door shut with her foot. 'I'll just take him to bed, I'll be right back' Toni smiled.

When Toni disappeared into the other room Cheryl stayed stood in her spot taking in her surroundings. The apartment was small but it was cute. 'Hey you can put that on the counter if you want?' Toni whispered coming out of Tommy's room and shutting the door 'he'll be out until the morning now'. Luckily Toni had bought Tommy a hotdog at the zoo so he had eaten. Cheryl nodded placing the giant plushy on the counter. She was just about to say goodbye before Toni spoke. 'Can I get you a cup of tea? As a thank you'. 'Sure' Cheryl smiled. 'Make yourself at home' she gestured towards the couch while she filled up the kettle. Cheryl walked over and carefully sat down. 'So Veronicas cool' Toni spoke. 'Yeah she is, she's a pain in the ass but she's always been my biggest supporter' Cheryl smiled. 'Yeah she seems like a great person'. 'She is but don't tell her I said that' the redhead chuckled. Toni joined Cheryl on the couch handing her the mug of tea and receiving a polite thank you. Toni kicked off her shoes before leaning back against the couch and switching on the tv, cartoons are of course the first thing that come on and Toni doesn't even bother to change it.

'I had a good day today' Toni smiled at the redhead turning to give her her full attention. 'Me too' Cheryl smiled 'how are you feeling after the whole butterfly thing?'. 'Urgh I'm so embarrassed' Toni laughed 'I don't know what it is about them but they just freak me out, they have done since I was a kid'. Cheryl laughed 'understandable I have a fear of spiders'. 'Oh no I don't mind those, I'll do you a deal I'll promise to get rid of any spiders if you promise to get rid of any butterflies that may appear when we're together' Toni smiled widely. 'Deal!' Cheryl laughed. 'So what's this?' the redhead asked as she pointed towards the tv. 'For real?' Toni asked. Cheryl just shrugged. 'It's Scooby Doo?' Toni raised an eyebrow. Cheryl just shook her head 'I don't know that show'. 'Oh my god, you don't know what you're missing' Toni suddenly moving closer to Cheryl and turning up the tv. Cheryl would've laughed at Toni's child like behaviour if it wasn't for her close proximity. The redhead could feel her heart beating in her chest and she was surprised Toni couldn't hear it. Cheryl sat back against the couch willing her heart to slow down as she got comfortable, she felt like a silly teenager with her first crush.

'Oh shit' Cheryl whispered to herself. As they were watching the television they must have fallen asleep. They'd had a busy day and Cheryl had barely slept the night before otherwise something like this would have never happened, although Toni did make her feel extremely comfortable. It was only when she went to move she felt a weight on her arm. Toni was snoring lightly against her, it might have been the cutest thing Cheryl had ever seen if she wasn't panicking. The room was dark, the only light coming from the tv as the cartoons continued to play in the background. The sleeping woman must have felt Cheryl move because she suddenly jumped up 'oh shit Cheryl I'm so sorry'. She squinted at the redhead as her eyes adjusted. 'It's fine Toni, I fell asleep too'. 'You did? We must have been tired' Toni laughed as she mentally cursed herself for falling asleep on Cheryl. She picked up her phone checking the time. 'It's 2 in the morning' Toni looked over at Cheryl. 'Oh wow, I should go' Cheryl said as she was about to stand. 'Cheryl it's really late, it's not the safest area to be at night. Take my bed I'll sleep on the couch' Toni said as she stretched out her body. 'Toni I can't kick you out of your own bed, I'll be fine'. Toni reached out and placed a hand on Cheryl's leg 'please, I really don't want you to have to go out alone at this hour'. 'If you're sure but I'll take the couch' Cheryl argued. 'No way, what kind of host would I be if I let a pretty lady sleep on the couch. Give me a moment to go get changed and then the bedroom is all yours' she disappeared into the bedroom. All Cheryl could hear was Toni calling her a _'pretty lady',_ the shorter woman was smooth the redhead would give her that.

Toni came back out in a oversized T-shirt and shorts with a blanket draped over her shoulder. 'Okay Cheryl all yours, I put some pyjamas on the bed so you don't have to sleep in your clothes and feel free to use the bathroom'. Cheryl tried to keep her eyes on Toni's face rather than allow them to run down the other woman's legs. 'Thank you Toni, Goodnight' the redhead smiled as she passed Toni. 'Goodnight Cheryl' Toni smiled as she set up the couch so she could get some sleep. Cheryl quickly and quietly used the bathroom before entering the bedroom and closing the door. The room was small and pretty bare obviously because Toni hadn't lived there long. She picked up the pyjamas Toni had left out for her with a small smile before changing into them. Cheryl was completely out of her comfort zone, she'd had her fair share of one night stands but this, this was different but in some weird way felt right. She crawled into Toni's bed and wrapped herself in the duvet, if she wasn't so tired she would have probably stayed awake the whole night but she was exhausted and sleep consumed her easily.

Toni woke up the next morning to the sound of her alarm blaring from her phone. She grumbled as she searched the couch for her phone that she could see but not hear. Finally she found it and silenced the alarm as she sat up cracking her bones while she stretched. She heard the bathroom door open revealing Cheryl in Toni's pyjamas her hair in a messy bun and face bare. Toni thought she looked adorable. 'I hope you don't mind I used some of your facial wipes' Cheryl whispered. 'Of course not' Toni smiled 'coffee before I have to wake up the little man for school?'. 'Sounds great' Cheryl smiled as she took a seat on the couch. 'Would you mind putting on the tv, I usually have the cartoons on for when Tommy wakes up'. 'Are you sure it's for him and not for you' Cheryl laughed. 'Hey shhh, we don't want anyone hearing my secret love for cartoons' Toni joked as she moved around the kitchen area. 'Here you go' Toni smiled as she handing Cheryl the hot drink. 'Thank you Toni'. 'So how'd you sleep?' Toni asked as she sipped on her coffee. 'I slept really well actually, I was exhausted' Cheryl said as she watched whatever was on the television screen. 'Good, do you have to work today?' Toni asked making conversation. 'No, I check emails and things sometimes but I don't technically work, I hire people to do that. I just get informed if there is a big decision to make' Cheryl shrugged. 'Oooh check you boss lady' Toni laughed 'well unfortunately I do have work today and Tommy has school so I guess I'll go and wake him up. Be right back'.

Tommy looked still asleep while Toni carried him to the bathroom, it was only when she placed him on the couch did he open his eyes. 'Cheryl? What are you doing here? Did you guys have a sleepover without me?' he pouted. 'Aren't you happy to see Cheryl?' Toni asked as she poured his cereal. 'I am' he smiled at her as he crawled across the couch towards Cheryl flopping on her lap. She gently played with his curls as he fixed his eyes on the tv. 'He's very cuddly when he's tired' Toni smiled at the pair on the couch. 'I can tell' Cheryl laughed. 'Okay come on kid get your breakfast' she said placing it on the floor like she normally did. Tommy slid off the couch to eat his breakfast. 'Can I get you anything?' Toni asked looking at Cheryl. 'No thank you' Cheryl smiled 'actually I could drive you to take Tommy to school and then I'll take you to Pops on my way home if you'd like?'. 'I'd appreciate that Cheryl thanks' Toni smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the chapters! I hope you all have a great evening :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another couple of chapters for you! It's 1.30am in England and I've literally slept the day away, I uploaded this as soon as I've woken up so enjoy! :)

Cheryl had taken Toni to drop Tommy off at school, her heart melted as he turned to wave at her before he disappeared into the crowd of children. She waited patiently for Toni to return as she tried to not let her unexpected nerves get the better of her. Her life had seemly done a whole 360 in the span of a week. 'Thank you for that Cheryl' Toni smiled as she got back into the car. 'No problem' Cheryl smiled looking at her before putting her car into drive. The car ride was quiet but comfortable both women glancing at each other but not knowing exactly what to say. Cheryl pulled the car into Pops parking lot and brought it to a stop. 'Thank you for the ride Cheryl, I really appreciate it' Toni smiled. 'My pleasure Toni, thank you for allowing me to stay at your place' Cheryl returned the smile. Okay now it had gotten awkward. 'Anytime, well I guess I'll see you around' Toni said as she opened the car door and stepped out before turning to face the redhead 'don't be a stranger, bye Cheryl'. 'Goodbye Toni' was all Cheryl managed to get out as Toni shut the car door. The redhead watching as the other woman walked around the corner to the main entrance of the diner. 'You idiot' Cheryl said to herself as she looked into the mirror shaking her head. She grabbed hold of her phone calling Veronica, she needed to talk to her best friend.

'What's the emergency? And where were you last night I tried to call, don't tell me you went back to that psycho Madison!' Veronica said as she sat next to Cheryl on the redheads couch after just letting herself in. 'Of course not!' Cheryl rolled her eyes. 'Then where were you?' Veronica asked with a raised eyebrow. 'I spent the night at Toni's' Cheryl braced herself for Veronicas reaction. 'Wait... what?' Veronicas eyebrows were nearly touching her hairline before she let out a chuckle 'you don't play around Blossom!'. 'No it wasn't like _that._ I took her home and we both accidentally fell asleep on the couch, we didn't wake up until like 2am and she offered me her bed' Cheryl shrugged. 'Aww this sounds like such a lesbian romcom' Veronica grinned 'but if that's all that happened what was the phone call all about? I thought you was gonna have a panic attack'. Cheryl took a deep breath in 'because V I think I might actually _like_ her'. Even though Veronica sort of knew she still shook her head in shock. 'Wait like you're actually admitting you're crushing on her? I haven't heard you say anything like that since high school'. 'I don't know what to do V' she fell against the back of the couch 'she's got a kid'. 'So? Tommy's a great kid. He really seems to like you too'. 'It's not just that, what if it doesn't work out, I don't want to hurt him' Cheryl mumbled. 'Look Cheryl' Veronica said taking hold of the redheads hand 'this is the first time in a long time you've had any sort of feelings for a woman besides sex, just ask her out, it's worth a shot. If she's not into you that's her loss but something tells me that she won't turn you down. Start slow and get a feel for it, maybe invite her and Tommy to the aquarium at the weekend?'. As much as Veronica teased her she was always there with the best advice. 'I might just try that' Cheryl smiled 'thanks Ronnie'. 'No need to thank me, I really like Toni, I think you guys would look great together'. Cheryl bit her lip and pulled out her phone. Her facial expression soon turned from lovestruck teenager to annoyed though. 'Madison is actually crazy, she's sent me multiple messages again' Cheryl sighed. 'Block her' Veronica rolled her eyes. 'I did after Saturday night but she's just making new accounts to contact me, should I be worried?' Cheryl said glancing at her friend. 'Pass me your phone' Veronica said holding out her hand. Cheryl passed it over expecting her to just read the messages. She should have known better.

Veronica clicked on the video call button. 'Wait? V what are you doing?' Cheryl panicked. Veronica just waved her hand dismissively. The call was accepted. 'Cher...' the woman on the other side of the phone answered hopefully 'oh Veronica. Can I help you?'. 'Actually yes you can, stop messaging my girl Cheryl before she gets a restraining order on your crazy ass'. 'Look I just want to talk to her, straighten things out and make them right' Madison pleaded. Veronica huffed in frustration 'look she told you before anything happened she wasn't looking for anything serious. You agreed so stop bothering her. Plus she's got a new beau'. 'Excuse me?' Madison raised her voice a little. 'Take the hint she's just not that into you. Now don't contact her again, goodbye Madison' Veronica smirked as she hung up the phone.

'Veronica oh my god' Cheryl laughed. 'What? She needs to stop bothering you, it's getting out of control' Veronica shrugged 'so where's Toni now?'. 'I dropped her at work after we took Tommy to school'. 'I see' Veronica smirked. 'What now?' Cheryl said pushing her shoulder. 'I just think it's cute how thee Cheryl Blossom has gone from crazy nights out and hooking up with random girls to... doing school runs'. 'Come on Veronica, I'm trying to be a good friend. It was the least I could do, she stayed on the couch so I could have her bed'. 'If you're just _friends_ why didn't you just share the bed?' Veronica said with a smug face. 'Because we haven't known each other for that long and she probably didn't want to make it weird'. 'Why would it be weird?' Veronica teased. 'V I confided in you, stop'. 'Sorry' Veronica held her hands up in surrender 'I'm just really excited for you'. 'And you show that by teasing me?' Cheryl raised her eyebrow. 'It's just my way of showing you love' she smiled sheepishly. 'Mmm hmm' Cheryl nodded not convinced 'or it's because you like to she me blush'. 'Yeah maybe it's that' Veronica laughed.

Once Veronica had left Cheryl busied herself with cleaning her apartment, although it didn't really need it. These feelings were unfamiliar to her and she wasn't sure if it was too soon, she always believed you know when you meet the right person but she never thought it would happen to her. Plus it's complex, she didn't know Toni's feelings, there's a child involved and Cheryl didn't want to end up getting hurt. She decided on leaving it a couple of days before texting Toni so she could make sure she was positive on the next step she was going to take. She suddenly felt like she had an awful lot of free time on her hands forgetting how she usually filled her days. Sure she'd spend almost every morning at Pops but apart from that she felt kind of empty. Maybe a little retail therapy would do her some good. She grabbed her keys from the counter and went outside to her car so she could take herself to the mall, hoping it would distract her mind.

Toni had just walked home after getting Tommy from school. She was disappointed that she hadn't received a message from Cheryl but she wanted to give her some space, she seemed a little freaked out after saying goodbye earlier, Toni only hoped it wasn't because of her. As busy as she was at work Toni couldn't get the redhead off her mind. She felt stupid, she was a grown woman secretly crushing on her new friend. After kicking off their shoes Tommy grabbed the giant crocodile off the counter, well he tried to, he grabbed its tail and pulled it causing it to land on him and knocking him to the floor. 'Whoops' he shouted as Toni ran and picked him up. 'Are you okay?' she laughed. 'I'm okay Mommy' he said rubbing his butt. 'Where do you want it?' she asked. 'On the couch please' he smiled. Toni picked it up off the floor and put it on the couch. 'Cheryl really got you the biggest thing in the gift shop huh?'. He grinned as he nodded 'she did!'. He climbed to lay on top of the giant plushy 'is Cheryl having a sleep over tonight?'. 'Not tonight bud' Toni said ruffling his hair. She moved over to the kitchen to prepare dinner her mouth curling into a smile as she thought about the redhead. Maybe she'd admit it to Cheryl instantly shaking her head afterwards remembering how weird Cheryl was acting this morning.


	12. Chapter 12

It wasn't until Friday evening that Cheryl was finally finding the courage to even think about messaging Toni. She'd picked her phone up multiple times before placing it back down in a huff. She didn't want to admit it but she was scared of the rejection. Toni on the other hand thought she'd done something wrong, she hadn't heard from Cheryl all week and the redhead hadn't made her regular morning visits to Pops, that alone made Toni not reach out. Tommy of course had asked about the redhead but Toni just told him she had been really busy. After she had put the little boy to bed and read him a story he fell asleep. She was going to treat herself to some self care pouring herself a glass of wine and putting on a chick flick. She wasn't working in the morning so she could finally relax tonight, she pulled up her feet and began to watch the movie. It wasn't ten minutes in before her phone lit up catching her attention. She picked it up and her heart fluttered when she saw the name on the screen, she instantly opened it.

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_Hi Toni, I hope you and Tommy are well?_

_Toni Topaz_   
_Hi Cheryl I'm glad to hear from you, I was worried I may have upset you in some way. Tommy's fine he's asleep in bed and I'm enjoying a glass of wine with a movie, exciting I know._

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_Why would you think that? And same, well I'm laid in bed but still with a glass of wine and a movie._

_Toni Topaz_   
_Because I haven't seen you at Pops all week and I haven't heard from you so I just assumed._

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_I'm sorry about that Toni that wasn't my intention._

_Toni Topaz_   
_So why have you been dodging? Is everything okay?_

Toni was generally straight to the point but she also cared about people and liked to know they were okay. Cheryl paused as she read that, not knowing exactly how to reply.

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_Everything is fine Toni. I wondered if you were free tomorrow? I'd like to take you and Tommy to the aquarium but I understand it's last minute and you may be busy._

_Toni Topaz_   
_I'm sure Tommy would love that, it sounds great._

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_Great! I'll pick you guys up tomorrow around 10am._

_Toni Topaz_   
_Great, oh and Cheryl?_

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_Yes?_

_Toni Topaz_   
_It's good to hear from you. Tommy's missed you._

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_Just Tommy?_

_Toni Topaz_   
_Maybe I have a little._

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_Maybe I've missed you a little too._

Even through both of them were at their own homes the smiles on their faces matched. Cheryl wondered why it had taken herself so long to just reach out to Toni although it didn't matter now, everything had worked out. She was nervous but excited at the same time, she was looking forward to seeing Tommy too. She thought it would be a good idea to update Veronica and let her know that she'd finally spoken to Toni since she had been bugging her about it all week.

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_Hey V! You'll be glad to know I have finally spoken to Toni and she agreed to let me take her and Tommy to the aquarium. I'm really nervous but I'm excited to see them both._

_Toni Topaz_   
_I'm gonna take a guess and say that wasn't for me?_

'Oh shit, oh shit' Cheryl said as she jumped off her bed. How could she make such a rookie mistake. She was mortified, she could literally feel the blush burn her face. How the hell was she suppose to get out of this one, she literally put Toni's name. This was a disaster, she picked up her phone without daring to look at it again and ran out to her car. Driving to Veronicas she buzzed the gate and waited to be let through. As Veronica opened her front door she looked at Cheryl's panicked face with wide eyes 'what the hell happened?'. Before she had the chance to speak Archie appeared from one of the rooms 'Ronnie I'm gonna head home' he said as he placed a kiss on the brunettes cheek 'Cheryl' he nodded as he passed the redhead. 'Come on' Veronica pulled Cheryl in and closed the door.

'You did WHAT?!?' Veronica couldn't believe what the redhead was saying, if Cheryl didn't seem so stressed about it she'd have laugh. 'Don't V, I'm so embarrassed' she put her head in her hands. 'Well what did Toni say?'. 'She literally just said that wasn't meant for her. Of course it wasn't meant for her! What am I suppose to do'. 'Well instead of freaking out have you actually spoken to her?' Veronica questioned. 'What? Of course not. She'll be completely freaked out'. 'Well how do you know if you haven't spoken to her?'. Before Cheryl could answer her the sound of Veronicas phone ringing got both of their attention. The brunette picked it up before looking over to Cheryl 'it's Toni'. 'No it's not' Cheryl's eyes were wide. Veronica turned her phone to show Cheryl before going to put it to her ear. 'V! Don't you dare!' Cheryl tried to shout and whisper at the same time.

'Hi Toni, what's up?'.  
'Veronica I'm really sorry to call you so late but I wondered if you'd heard from Cheryl?'.  
'Why did something happen?'.

Veronica had decided to act dumb for now, if looks could kill she'd be dead with the look Cheryl was giving her.

'Cheryl sent me a message that was meant for you and I think she's freaking out, I just wanted to make sure she was okay'.  
'Oh Toni do you know what's really funny, I think Cheryl's just walked into my place'.  
'Really?'.  
'Yeah do you want me to pass her the phone?'.

Cheryl was stood up now running her hands through her hair with anxiety. She was going to kill Veronica for putting her in this position.

'If she'd talk to me?'.  
'Of course she'll talk to you T. I'll pass you over now. Speak to you soon!'.  
'Speak to you soon Ronnie thanks'.

Veronica held the phone out to Cheryl who shook her head with wide eyes. 'Take it' Veronica whispered 'she's called to speak to you'. With a huff she took the phone from her so called best friend and turned her back to her.

'Toni, hi'.  
'Cheryl, I've been trying to get in contact with you, are you okay?'.  
'I'm fine Toni'.

Cheryl knew she was being short but she was more than embarrassed and she wasn't happy with Veronica.

'Are you sure? You sound kinda freaked out'.  
'Toni, I'm really sorry I sent you that message it was a mistake'.   
'I'm not'.  
'What?'.  
'Cheryl, would you rather call tomorrow a date even though my little shadow will be tagging along? Because I'd like that'.  
'You would?'.  
'A date with a beautiful woman, of course I'd like that. Only if you're comfortable with it'.  
'I'd like that Toni'.  
'Okay great well I'll see you tomorrow then'.  
'See you tomorrow Toni'.

When Cheryl put down the phone she tried to mask her smile before turning to Veronica. She handed back her phone 'what kind of friend are you!'. 'I'm sorry Cheryl but I know you would have cancelled tomorrow and I didn't want you to ruin your chance. Trust me I had your best interests at heart. Soooo what did she say?'. 'I don't think you deserve to know' Cheryl smirked as she sat back down. 'Oh come on Cher, she seemed kind of concerned' Veronica took a seat next to her. 'Fine she asked if I'd prefer to call tomorrow a date because she would' Cheryl blushed. 'Wow the girls got game, so I take it you agreed?' Veronica smiled. 'Of course, she took the time to call me after I completely embarrassed myself' Cheryl cringed thinking about the message she'd sent by mistake. 'Well it all worked out even better than you expected girl so I wouldn't worry about that now'. 'Your right' Cheryl smiled 'but I should probably head home'.

Cheryl couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she walked into her house. The redhead hoped that everything went well tomorrow, she went upstairs to get ready for bed. She put the tv on for background noise like she did every night as she crawled into her bed. Feeling nervous but also peaceful she fell asleep quickly dreaming of the day ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I Hope you all have a great evening/night! :)


	13. Chapter 13

Of course it was the weekend so Toni was woken up by Tommy jumping on her bed. 'Good morning Mommy!' he smiled. 'Hey little man' she grumbled as she woke up 'come here Mommy wants to tell you something' she held the duvet open so he could crawl in. 'What is it?' Tommy asked as he laid in his moms arms. 'Well Cheryl reached out to me yesterday to see if me and you...' she pointed to herself and then lightly booped his nose 'wanted to go to the aquarium today?'. 'Cheryl did?' He asked with wide eyes. Toni nodded bracing herself for his reaction. He jumped up 'yessssss!'. He started to bounce on the bed with excitement. Toni reached out for her phone to video record him. 'Okay calm down' she laughed and with one last jump he sat on his mother's stomach. She sent the video to Cheryl telling her this is what she has to deal with this morning thanks to the redhead. She replied with _'my heart, he's too precious'._ Only now realising the time as she received the message from Cheryl, they only had forty five minutes to get ready and she wanted to look decent, since it was a date and all. 'Let's get ready Cheryl will be here soon' Toni said standing up and reaching down to grab Tommy.

Thankfully the pair was showered, dressed and fed with five minutes to spare. 'Okay I think we're ready' Toni smiled down at her son. He looked adorable in his black hoodie and jeans with his white sneakers. Toni had opted for black skinny jeans and a grey knitted sweater her hair falling in soft curls, it was casual but she wore it well. Her phone pinged in her pocket. 'Cheryl said she's here let's go'. She picked Tommy up and carried him to the parking lot not wanting to keep the redhead waiting. 'Hey Cheryl' Toni smiled as she opened the car door not even hiding the way her eyes ran down Cheryl's body and back to her dark orbs 'you look good'. Cheryl was wearing a red turtle neck sweater, black jeans and surprisingly white sneakers. 'Thank you, so do you' she smirked 'I hope it's okay I got Tommy a child seat'. 'Thank you Cheryl, you're too sweet' Toni smiled as she leant down to get Tommy in the car. 'Hi Cheryl' Tommy waved while Toni buckled him in. 'Hi Tommy, are you excited?'. 'Yesss!' He shouted causing Cheryl to giggle. 'Hey! That was right in my ear' Toni grumbled. 'Sorry Mommy'. 'It's a good job you're cute' Toni said as she shut the door before opening the door to the passenger seat. 'Ready?' Cheryl asked putting the car in drive when Toni and Tommy nodded.

Even after Cheryl's mishap with the text message yesterday the car journey wasn't awkward. Cheryl smiled as Toni and Tommy sang along to the radio even joining in every now and again when Tommy told her he couldn't hear her. The journey didn't take too long and they were soon pulling into a parking space. Cheryl left Toni to get Tommy out of the car while she went to purchase the tickets. 'Okay all ready to go' Cheryl smiled holding up the tickets. Toni thanked her and grabbed Tommy's hand to join the line. 'What are you doing?' Cheryl asked. 'Joining the line?' Toni looked confused. 'No, come on'. Toni moved back over towards Cheryl as she followed her to the man at the entrance. She was surprised when the worker just let her through. 'Toni, Tommy come on' Cheryl smiled. Cutting lines was something Toni wasn't used to but she just pushed it to the back of her mind and followed Cheryl through. Tommy's hand was already linked to his mom but he used his spare hand to reach for Cheryl's as soon as they caught up to her. She took it and smiled at the little boy who was taking everything in for the first time. 'Thank you for bringing us here, he's really excited' Toni grinned at the redhead. 'It's really no problem' Cheryl smiled. 'Look! Look!'. He let go of Toni's hand to point at the seahorses. 'Oh wow' Toni smiled 'do you like the sea horses?'. He had his face pressed against the glass as he looked at them in awe. He moved his face to another tank with some different fish in it, watching them with curiosity 'nemo' he whispered to himself. As he moved to another tank Toni decided she'd let him have a little freedom and enjoy the aquarium with being glued to her side, it wasn't busy and she trusted he would behave. 'Okay Tommy remember not too many steps in front of Mommy and Cheryl, we have to be able to see you all the time' she said sternly. 'Okay Mommy' he said while he stepped forward. 'Okay we better keep up with the boss' Toni smiled. Cheryl was just about to laugh but the feeling of Toni's hand wrapping hers made it feel like her heart stopped.

'Is this okay?' Toni asked looking over to the redhead. 'More than okay' Cheryl smiled squeezing Toni's hand. They followed Tommy and he pointed to literally everything, Toni had told him to calm down multiple times but it only lasted a minute or two. Cheryl couldn't concentrate though, her heart was still racing, she couldn't believe how irrational she felt, she had held hands with plenty of people but no one ever made her feel like this. No ones hand felt like it fit hers as perfectly as Toni's did. She looked over to Toni who seemed as cool as a cucumber, well that's what it looked like but little did she know Toni was feeling the exact same way. The further they got through the attraction the bigger the tanks became. 'These fishy's are bigger than my head' Tommy shouted to his mom and Cheryl. 'I don't know about that kid' Toni laughed which caused Cheryl to bump her shoulder. 'It's a joke' Toni laughed 'kind of'. 'Cheryl can you pick me up so I can see better?' Tommy asked. He wanted to see inside the large open tank that was home to some of the stingrays. She bent down and picked him up watching his face as he studied everything in the tank even the rocks. Toni pulled out her phone quickly snapping a picture of the pair before either of them noticed. Tommy had made Cheryl walk the whole way around the tank so he could see every angle and the redhead did so happily. Toni could tell her son had Cheryl wrapped around his little finger already.

'Okay the tunnels coming up, I can't wait to see his face' Toni said as she read the sign 'okay buddy stay close while we go through here'. They had to go through a door but as soon as Tommy stepped through he stopped in his tracks looking all around him. 'We are underwater!'. He started jumping up and down with excitement. 'Hey look let's go and sit on that bench then we can watch the big fish' Toni said hoping sitting down will keep him calm enough to take it all in. Cheryl and Toni sat down pulling Tommy up so he could sit next to them on the bench. He took it upon himself to lay down so he could watch the fish swimming above him. 'Oh Tommy look a shark' Toni said pointing up. 'A real shark?' Tommy asked. 'Of course silly'. 'Wow, they are big!' he giggled. 'They give me the creeps' Cheryl laughed only loud enough for Toni to hear, she didn't want to scare the young boy. 'Are you okay?' Toni asked placing her hand on Cheryl's thigh. 'Yeah of course' Cheryl smiled suddenly not thinking of the sharks anymore and placing her own hand on top of Toni's hoping she wouldn't be able to feel the nerves radiating through her body. Cheryl could get used to this, days out with Toni and Tommy. If someone would have told her a month ago that she'd be on a date in an aquarium with a woman and her child she would have laughed saying absolutely not but now there's no where she would rather be. The aquarium was pretty small in comparison to the zoo and Cheryl was worried that her time with the pair would run out before she would like so she had to think of another way to spend more time with them.

'Toni would you and Tommy like to come to my house for takeout once we are done here?' Cheryl asked timidly. 'Sounds great as long as it's my treat' Toni smiled. 'But I invited you out' Cheryl pushed. 'Exactly and me buying dinner is us showing you we appreciate it' Toni challenged with a smirk. 'Okay fine' Cheryl tried to huff but she couldn't hide the smile on her face. 'Shall we move to the next exhibit' Toni asked. The boy and the redhead nodded causing Toni to stand up, she pick Tommy up and popped him on the ground before reaching her hand out to Cheryl to pull her up and re-join their hands. The next exhibit was the last and Tommy made sure he looked at every corner of it asking Cheryl to read every piece of information to him until he was completely satisfied. Of course to exit you had to walk through the gift shop just like the zoo. 'Can I have a toy Mommy?' Tommy gave her the puppy eyes with his hand still connected to Cheryl's. 'You can choose one, a small one' she said but that was enough for him to run into the shop. He asked for a small box of mixed sea creature toys which Toni agreed to before going to the cashier to pay for them. Tommy waited patiently for Toni to pay and pass the toy back to him he immediately thanked her. 'Okay shall we get back to the car?' Cheryl asked. 'Yep' Tommy nodded his full attention still on the toys. The redhead let Toni strap the boy into his seat as she started up the engine. 'Don't open those until we get back to Cheryl's house okay?' Toni told Tommy as she got into her own seat and put on her safety belt. 'Okay Mommy, quick let's go Cheryl!' he laughed as Cheryl pulled her car out of the parking space and leaving the parking lot.


	14. Chapter 14

'Wow this is a nice area' Toni said as she looked out of the window. 'Yeah it's pretty quiet around here' Cheryl nodded. 'It's beautiful' Toni said eyes still watching everything go by through the window. _'Not as beautiful as you'_ Cheryl thought but didn't say. As Cheryl pulled her car up to her gate she reached for her phone to open them. 'You live here?' Toni asked in awe. 'Yes this is home' Cheryl shrugged opening the gate. When Tommy heard they were at Cheryl's house he looked through the window. 'Wow Cheryl who else lives here?' he asked innocently. 'Just me' Cheryl smiled. 'This giant house just for you?' Tommy asked. 'That's right' Cheryl answered. 'Sorry, I don't think he's ever seen a house this size' Toni looked at the redhead. 'It's fine Toni, he's right it's a big house for one person' Cheryl shrugged. She pulled up and parked on her drive as the gates shut behind them. 'Okay come on' Cheryl opened the car door suddenly insecure about what Toni would think to her home. She waited as Toni got Tommy from his seat and placed him on the ground. He started to skip towards the door obviously excited to see Cheryl's home. 'Tommy we have to wait for Cheryl, you need to be respectful of her home' Toni called. 'He's fine Toni, I want him to be comfortable here' Cheryl smiled and Toni was sure she felt her heart swell.

Cheryl unlocked the door and motioned for Toni and Tommy to go inside. As soon as Toni stepped inside her mouth dropped at the foyer. 'Cheryl you have a beautiful home' she complimented. 'Thank you Toni, do you guys want to follow me through to the lounge?' Cheryl smiled. Toni nodded and followed the redhead with Tommy in tow. 'Make yourself at home' the redhead smiled 'Tommy you can use the coffee table to play on if you'd like?'. Tommy nodded eagerly 'yes please Cheryl, could you help me get them out of the packaging?'. 'Sure' Cheryl nodded as she sat on the rug. She opened the packaging and poured the toys over the table 'there you go'. 'Thank you!' Tommy shouted. 'You're welcome' she said as she ruffled his hair before standing up. 'Toni can I get you guys anything? Water? Juice maybe?' Cheryl asked trying to be a good host to her guests. 'Yes please, juice if possible' Toni smiled as she sat right on the edge of the couch. Cheryl laughed 'Toni please make yourself comfortable please, you don't need to be polite'. 'Okay' Toni laughed as she sat back against the couch looking at her son who was quietly playing with his new toys.

Cheryl came back in with drinks for the mother and son handing them to Toni. 'I'm sorry I don't have any children's cups so I put Tommy's in a mug so he could use the handle to make it easier for him, is that okay?'. 'That's perfect Cheryl but where should I put it, somewhere where he can't spill it and ruin something' Toni laughed nervously as she looked around Cheryl's spotless home, Tommy was good for his age but he was still a young child and could be clumsy. 'I'll just put it on the table with him, if it spills I'll clean it up no big deal' Cheryl shrugged taking the mug from Toni and placing it next to Tommy who gave her a big smile and a polite thank you. Cheryl sat on the couch next to Toni and passed her the remote to the television. 'I don't know what you guys normally watch but I'm sure it'll be on here'. Toni accepted the remote and turned to look at probably the biggest TV she had ever seen. 'Okay lets see, you wasn't kidding, this plays any channel known to man' Toni laughed. She settled on Spongebob Squarepants for now, it was one of Tommy's absolute favourites and hers if she was honest. Tommy sang along to the theme song as he continued to play with his toys as Toni smiled at him before feeling eyes on her. 'A talking sponge that lives in the sea?' Cheryl laughed. 'Of course it makes perfect sense' Toni laughed.

'Mommy I need the bathroom' Tommy turned to his mom. 'Okay kid, Cheryl do you mind?' Toni asked. 'There's one just at the top of the stairs, if you want to use that one' Cheryl smiled. 'Is that okay?' Toni asked. 'Of course' she nodded turning her attention back to the cartoon playing. She tried to deny to Toni that she was enjoying it but she wasn't even bothering to hide it now as she laughed along every now and again. It made Toni smile every time she saw the redheads face light up. Toni took Tommy's hand and led him upstairs to the bathroom which she surprisingly found straight away as their were multiple doors. Seeing Cheryl's home gave Toni a little insight into the woman's life, it was beautiful and luxurious although the redhead's personality didn't reflect that. Toni thought Cheryl was one of the most humble and sweetest people she'd ever met. She couldn't help but feel she'd be a little lonely if this was her home though. She helped Tommy used the bathroom as he pointed to the bath that he said looked like a swimming pool, it was of course an exaggeration but the bath was huge compared to a standard bath. 'Okay let's wash your hands so we can get back downstairs' Toni said as she lifted Tommy up to the sink. As they entered the lounge again Cheryl looked up 'did you find everything okay?'. 'We did thank you, so what take outs get delivered around here?' Toni asked sitting back down next to Cheryl.

They had decided on pizza and Toni insisted on paying so as soon as Cheryl had opened the gate to let the delivery driver in she grabbed her wallet and ran, literally ran to the door composing herself before she opened it. 'You're crazy' Cheryl giggled as Toni came back into the room 'I was thinking we could eat on the back porch, the sunset is really beautiful from there' the redhead blushed. 'Sounds perfect' Toni smiled 'come on kiddo, follow Cheryl pizza is here'. The pair followed Cheryl passed the stairs and to some double doors that led onto the back. 'Wow Cheryl you wasn't wrong, the sunset looks amazing'. Toni placed the pizzas onto the table as she took it all in, the way the light reflected on Cheryl made Toni's jaw drop. 'Toni are you okay?'. 'I was just thinking' Toni said meeting the redheads eyes. 'About what?'. 'About how absolutely gorgeous you are' Toni winked before turning to Tommy and lifting him into a seat. Cheryl was glad for the red lighting of the sun because the way her cheeks were burning she was sure the colour would match her hair. Toni took a seat and looked back at the redhead 'are you joining us?'. Cheryl didn't answer she just smiled and took a seat. They were chatting about their day at the aquarium when Tommy spoke up, his face covered in pizza 'what's that Cheryl' he said pointing across the outside seating area. 'Oh that's my hot tub and down there...' Cheryl said pointing to the far end of the garden 'is the pool'. 'You have a pool?' Tommy eyes were wide 'can I see?'. 'After we've eaten I'll show you if you'd like?'. 'Yes please!' He put his full attention into eating his slice of pizza. 'Don't rush you'll throw up' Toni laughed. When they had finished eating Tommy was practically dragging Cheryl up, Toni was about to tell him but Cheryl mouthed _'it's fine Toni'_ and she let it go. 'Actually where's does the trash go, I'll take it then meet you there' Toni asked. 'Toni I'll do that' Cheryl said but Toni just raised an eyebrow 'fine just around there at the side of the house'. Toni smiled as she picked up the trash while Cheryl took Tommy to look at the pool.

Toni threw everything out and walked back around the house as she noticed the little lights coming on automatically as it got dark, it looked really pretty, she wouldn't mind spending a few more date nights here with Cheryl. As she reached Cheryl and Tommy she stopped as to not interrupt their little conversation but it didn't work, they both turned to look at her with a smile. 'Can I play on the grass?' Tommy asked letting go of the redheads hand. 'Of course' Cheryl smiled as she watched him run in circles around her large garden. 'Lucky this is here or he might just have jumped straight in' Toni laughed looking at the glass pool fence. 'Yeah I chose to have it in so people didn't trail grass straight into the pool when I used to have garden party's, clean feet are a must' she smiled. 'Veronica is coming tomorrow with one of her boy toys Archie to have a pool day if you want to join?' Cheryl said looking at the pool. 'I don't know Cheryl I don't want us to get in the way' Toni looked at the redhead. 'Don't say that, you'd be doing me a favour, I wouldn't have to watch Veronica and Archie all over each other' she laughed turning her attention to Toni 'I'd really like it, if of course you're not too busy?'. 'Nope I'm not busy and I'll do you a deal' Toni smiled 'I'll come tomorrow if you agree to a coffee date with me on Wednesday, I'm off work and Tommy will be at school. That is if you're not busy?'. 'I'd love that Toni, you've got yourself a deal' Cheryl blushed. 'Mommy, Cheryl look!'. The pair turned around to see Tommy laid on the grass pointing to the stars. 'Come on' Toni said grabbing Cheryl's hand. 'Toni what are you doing?' Cheryl laughed as Toni laid on the ground next to Tommy. 'Watching the stars silly' Tommy laughed answering for his mother. Toni sat back up and pulled Cheryl down and the redhead obliged with a grin. She laid down next to Toni staring up at the stars as she reached for the other woman's hand. Toni accepted turning her head to face Cheryl 'thank you for today we really enjoyed it'. She lent over placing a small kiss on Cheryl's cheek and the redhead couldn't hide her smile. 'Mommy you just kissed Cheryl!' Tommy laughed. 'Yeah and now I'm gonna kiss you' she laughed reaching over, grabbing her son and pulling him on top of her placing quick kisses all over his face as he squealed with joy. 'Help me Cheryl' he managed to shout out through laughter causing the redhead to sit up and tickle Toni until the little boy could escape. He ran behind Cheryl wrapping his arms around her so she could protect him from tickles as his mother. 'You guys cheat' she said laying back against the grass 'two against one isn't fair, I'll get you both when you least expect it' she did an evil laugh. Tommy jumped on her chest but before she could tell him to be careful he laid against her and grabbed Cheryl's hand so she'd lay down as well. Suddenly quiet and relaxed the trio were left only listening to their thoughts and the crickets in the distance. Cheryl had never felt so carefree, Toni brought out a side to her that not even she had seen where she can have fun without any judgement. She knew they had only had one date and everything was new but Cheryl was already hoping for more nights like this one. More nights that were filled laughter and happiness thanks to Toni and Tommy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed tonight's chapters! Have a good day/night/evening :)


	15. Chapter 15

The air began to cool as time passed and Tommy had fallen asleep on Toni's chest. 'Do you wanna head inside and maybe watch a movie' Cheryl whispered 'or I can take you home whichever you want'. 'A movie sounds great Cher' Toni smiled and Cheryl felt her heart skip at the the nickname. 'I don't want to be a pain but do you think you could grab Tommy? Don't worry he won't wake up he's just heavy when he sleeps and the kids got me pinned'. 'Sure' Cheryl said getting up 'how should I do it?'. 'Whichever way is best for you' Toni smiled. Cheryl reached down and picked Tommy up, Toni wasn't wrong he was heavy as he slept. He grumbled against her chest as she cradled him in her arms, it was the cutest thing ever she thought. 'You good or shall I grab him?' Toni asked. 'I've got him, I'll put him on the couch would you mind going to my room and getting a blanket he's a little cold' Cheryl said as she walked next to Toni and into the house. 'Yes boss' the shorter woman smiled 'which room is yours?'. 'I'm sure you'll find it' Cheryl smiled as she left Toni at the bottom of the stairs while she walked into the lounge.

Toni climbed the stairs in search of the redheads bedroom. She entered a couple of rooms but they were practically bare with nothing but a bed and a set of drawers. She followed the hallway down to the end and finally found Cheryl's bedroom. This room was definitely the redheads, it was spotless, Toni was lucky if she made her bed in the morning. She had a quick look around before picking up a couple of blankets folded on the bed. She shut the door and made her way back down the stairs and into the lounge. 'Are these the right ones?' Toni asked. 'Yes thank you' Cheryl covered the sleeping boy and turned on a lamp on the corner of the room before sitting on the other couch. Toni sat next to her 'you're really good with him'. 'I am?' Cheryl asked. 'Of course, he's really comfortable with you' Toni smiled 'so what movie do you want to watch?'. 'You choose' Cheryl shrugged. 'Horror?' Toni asked. 'Okay' Cheryl tried to pretend like she wouldn't be scared later on when she was home alone. 'Unless you can't handle horror' Toni laughed. 'Oh I can handle it' Cheryl smirked and the flirty tone wasn't lost on Toni. 'If you say so' Toni said as she put on some paranormal movie. As the the movie started Toni yawned as she snaked her arm behind Cheryl. The redhead laughed quietly as did Toni careful not to wake Tommy. Cheryl moved her body so she was laid against Toni neither of them taking their eyes off the tv. It just felt so right, even though they'd really only known each other a couple of weeks.

As the movie played Toni ignored the way Cheryl discreetly closed her eyes at the scary parts, it was only when Cheryl physically jumped that Toni asked if she was okay. The redhead nodded 'I wasn't ready for the jump scare'. 'Yeah you didn't close your eyes in time' Toni laughed. Cheryl tapped Toni's thigh in fake shock as she denied being scared. 'We can turn it off if you like' Toni offered. 'No its fine' Cheryl turned back to the movie trying her best to keep her face still. When the movie ended Toni could feel herself getting tired. 'I should probably call an Uber to get me and sleeping beauty over there home' Toni said but didn't attempt to move as Cheryl was still lent against her. 'Nonsense I'll take you home' Cheryl got up and stretched her body out 'unless you both want to take the spare room? I've got some pyjamas and maybe a T-shirt small enough for Tommy to fit into. No pressure though'. 'I mean, we can if it's not a problem, I'm sure the little man would prefer for me not to wake him up'. Cheryl reached out her hand to pull Toni up from the couch before the shorter woman scooped up her son.

Toni waited as Cheryl switched everything off and then followed her up the stairs. 'You can take whichever room you'd like, although this one has the comfier bed' Cheryl whispered. 'Well that'll be the one we take then' Toni smiled. 'I'll be right back I'll just go and get you both something to change into'. Toni gently placed Tommy on the bed and took off his hoodie and jeans so she could change him into something more comfortable. Cheryl sneaked back into the room with a pile of pyjamas in her arms. Toni thanked her and took the T-shirt from the top before pulling it over Tommy's head and slipping him underneath the duvet. 'Okay well goodnight Toni' Cheryl whispered as she passed over the pyjamas. 'Goodnight Cher' Toni smiled. Cheryl lent over placing a light kiss on her cheek before turning to leave the room, she sent Toni a smile as she shut the door leaving her alone. Toni stripped from her clothes and pulled on the pyjamas Cheryl had offered her. _'Silk nice'_ she thought to herself. When she turned off the lights she crawled in next to her son who was sleeping soundly, she placed a kiss on his head and relaxed into the bed. This might be the most comfortable bed she had ever slept in and it didn't take long for her to fall into a deep sleep. Cheryl went into her own room turning on the lamp and tv like she always did. She changed into her pyjamas not even bothering with a shower and crawled straight into bed. Normally she'd turn the lamp off and watch the television until she fell asleep but not tonight, admitting to herself that maybe that movie did creep her out a little but she wouldn't tell Toni that. She tucked herself in bed happy with how the day had turned out. The redhead watched whatever reality show was playing on the tv until she couldn't stay awake any longer.

The next morning the redhead began to wake, she froze as she felt something or someone next to her. She cracked one eye open to see Tommy laid down next to her with a smile on his face. 'Good morning Cheryl' he laughed. 'Good morning Tommy' she said as she sat up and rubbed her eyes 'where's your mom?'. 'She's still sleeping' the little boy shrugged. 'Oh, well do you want to get breakfast?' Cheryl asked getting out of her bed. 'Yes please' Tommy smiled, he reached out his arms so Cheryl would carry him. The redhead picked him up and carried him down the stairs as quietly as she could as not to wake up his sleeping mother. She plopped him on the couch and put on some cartoons for him. 'Is pancakes okay?' Cheryl asked the small boy. He nodded before jumping off the couch 'can I help?'. 'Of course' Cheryl smiled as she took his hand leading him to the kitchen. She picked him up and sat him on the kitchen island, telling him not to move, not wanting him to fall as she got out all the equipment and ingredients. Once they had everything they needed the redhead added the ingredients to the bowl allowing Tommy to mix it. Cheryl thought it was adorable the way his tongue stuck out as he concentrated. She put a little flour on her finger and wiped it on the boys nose causing him to giggle. Cheryl tried to keep him quiet but he thought it was hilarious when he did the same thing back wiping flour on her nose and cheek.

Toni woke up to the sound of her son in a distant room. She sat up in panic before realising she was at Cheryl's. Pushing off the duvet she ran her hand through her hair to try and smooth it out before she made her way downstairs to the sound of laughter. As she got to the kitchen, she stopped at the door, leaning against it with a smile on her face. She watched as Tommy and Cheryl giggled as they wiped flour over each other's face. She stood straight and continued into the room 'and what's going on here?' she laughed. 'Oh Toni' Cheryl said a little embarrassed as she wiped the flour from her cheeks 'we're just making pancakes'. 'Pancakes huh?' Toni said as she took a seat on the stool. 'Yep' Tommy smiled. 'Did he wake you?' Toni turned to look back at Cheryl. 'No, I was just waking up to find him laid on my bed waiting for me to get up' Cheryl shrugged sending Tommy a smile. 'You should have woken me up, he's a pain for wandering when he wakes up'. 'It's fine Toni, we've had fun making pancakes, right Tommy'. He nodded, flour still on his face.

They sat in the lounge eating pancakes while watching morning cartoons. Tommy was sat on the floor using the coffee table while Toni and Cheryl sat on the couch. 'I should get an Uber to take us home soon so we can get back in time for Veronica to arrive' Toni said as she ate. Cheryl nodded 'I'll take you guys, I need to go to the store anyway so I'll pick you back up afterwards if you'd like?'. 'Are you sure?'. Cheryl nodded with a smile. 'These pancakes are better than mommies! Thank you Cheryl' Tommy smiled. 'Traitor' Toni whispered under her breath which caused Cheryl to let out a small laugh. 'That's because you helped make them' Cheryl smiled as Tommy turned to look at her. 'Really?' he grinned. 'Really' Cheryl said. When they were finished Toni took Cheryl's plate from her lap and Tommy's plate from the table. 'What are you doing?' Cheryl asked. 'Cleaning up the mess?' Toni said as if it was obvious. 'I can do that' Cheryl insisted. 'Too late I'm up now, you stay there and enjoy the cartoons' Toni smiled as she went into the kitchen to clean up the mess from breakfast.


	16. Chapter 16

'Okay so I'll give you a call when I'm leaving the store' Cheryl said as she pulled the car to a stop. 'Okay Cher' Toni said squeezing the redheads hand as she got out of the car and moved to get Tommy from his seat. 'Bye Cheryl see you soon' Tommy waved as Toni pulled him out. 'See you soon sweetheart' she smiled. 'Okay well see you later Cheryl'. 'See you later Toni'. The other woman shut the car door and walked into her apartment building. As soon as she was out of sight the redhead pulled out her phone calling her best friend to see if she would help her at the store. Of course the brunette agreed wondering why she'd need help for but not asking any questions at the moment. Cheryl put the car in drive and headed towards Veronicas house to pick her up.

'So what are going to the store for and why didn't you call me last night to tell me about the date' Veronica asked with a raised eyebrow as she got into the car. 'Hello to you too' Cheryl said looking at her before continuing 'and V because Toni and Tommy are coming to spend the day in the pool with us so I wanted to pick up a few things for Tommy to enjoy'. 'Oh exciting' Veronica smiled as she nudged the redheads shoulder 'and the date? How was that?'. 'Amazing' Cheryl smiled. 'Details please' Veronica pushed. 'Well we walked hand in hand while Tommy enjoyed the aquarium and ended the night under the stars after pizza before a horror movie and then we went to bed. Separately obviously but that's all you're getting' Cheryl smiled as her cheeks blushed. 'Oh my god Cheryl that sounds like the cutest date ever' Veronica gushed 'sounds like this could get serious'. 'Maybe' Cheryl shrugged keeping her eyes on the road. 'Wow I never thought I'd say that and you'd agree'. 'Yeah well Toni's... different, special' Cheryl finished the conversation at that while Veronica smiled in her seat more than happy for her friend.

'I'll grab the cart' Veronica said as they walked towards the stores entrance. Cheryl picked up a few things including a drinking cup for Tommy so Toni wouldn't worry about him spilling his juice even though she didn't care. She also couldn't resist picking the little boy up some toys and a toy box, nothing too much because she didn't want Toni to think that she had overstepped but she still wanted to make sure Tommy had something to do whenever they came to her house. She hoped it would be often, she had enjoyed them being there yesterday. 'Okay so we just need some floaties and some armbands' Cheryl said to Veronica who nodded. They chatted before stopping at the pool accessories isle. 'Oh that's cute' Veronica said pointing to the crocodile floatie. 'Oh he'll love that' Cheryl smiled putting it into the cart. She also picked up a soccer ball, a ring floatie and an electric pump to make it easier to blow everything up. The redhead paid for everything and took it back to her car. 

After dropping Veronica off at home they agreed for the brunette to be back at Cheryl's in around an hour along with Archie. Cheryl pulled out her phone calling Toni to let her know she would be outside the apartment in ten minutes. As the redhead pulled up she smiled at Toni and Tommy hand in hand as they waited for her. 'Hi' Tommy smiled as Toni put him in his seat and popped a bag next to him probably filled with their swimwear. Toni opened the door sitting down squeezing Cheryl's thigh as she greeted her. 'Toni' the redhead whispered not wanting to get the attention of the small boy in the back 'I hope you don't mind but I picked up a few things for Tommy at the store to keep him occupied at my house, is that okay?' the nerves thick in her voice. 'You're gonna spoil him' Toni laughed 'but it's fine, thank you Cher' she smiled, the shorter woman had left most of their things when they escaped the hold of Tommy's father and the boy never once complained so if Cheryl wanted to treat him every now and again she wouldn't stop her as long as her son appreciated it. Tommy talked the whole journey back to Cheryl's about how excited he was to spend the day in the pool. The sun was out too so they should be able to spend the whole day out there.

Cheryl pulled up onto the drive and parked the car. 'Cher would you get Tommy out? And then I can get the bags that I assume are in the trunk' Toni said unclipping her seatbelt. 'I'll take him inside and then come and help you, it'll take more than one trip' Cheryl said sheepishly causing Toni to raise an eyebrow. 'I'll get it Cher don't worry' she laughed shaking her head as she stepped out of the car. The redhead helped Tommy out of the car and into the house as she took a second to admire Toni. 'Like what you see' Toni smirked as she passed her to put the bags at the bottom of the stairs before turning around to head back to the car. 'Definitely' Cheryl winked before heading into the lounge to Tommy who was playing with the toys he had left out on the table the day before. When Toni had brought in everything Cheryl had bought the redhead walked back into the hallway to help the shorter woman sort through everything. The pair put all the floaties on the table so Toni could use the pump to blow everything up while Cheryl put the new toys she had purchased for Tommy into his new toybox. 'Okay I'll take these and throw them into the pool, do you want to give Tommy the new toys you bought for him?' Toni asked as she picked up the inflatable crocodile. 'I mean, I can, don't you want to be there?' Cheryl asked. 'It's fine' Toni smiled 'just make sure he says thank you'. And with that she juggled the floaties in her arms sending a playful death glare to the redhead when she heard her laughing. Cheryl blew her a kiss with a wink before moving back into the hallway picking up the toybox and taking it into the lounge to show Tommy.

'Tommy come here, I've got you something' Cheryl said placing the box on the floor as she got the little boys attention. 'What is it Cheryl?' he asked as he stood up from the table. 'Take a look' she motioned her head towards the box 'open the lid'. Tommy smiled at her as they sat on the ground together, the small boy opened the box and his face lit up 'all this for me?'. 'Of course, now you'll have something to play with while you're here' Cheryl smiled as he began to pull the toys from the box. 'Thank you so much' he said as he stood up wrapping his small arms around Cheryl and squeezing her. Cheryl returned the hug as she told him he was more than welcome. 'What's all this' Toni asked as she stood against the door looking between her son and the redhead. 'Cheryl got me some toys' he grinned at his mother. 'She did?' Toni acted fake shocked like she didn't know as she joined the pair on the floor 'that's very kind of her' she said smiling at the redhead 'did you say thank you?'. 'I did Mommy' Tommy smiled turning his attention back to his new toys. Suddenly they heard the front door open as Veronica and Archie let themselves in. 'Well this is cute' Veronica said taking in the trio sat on the floor with Tommy's toys spread around them. 'Hi Ronnie' Tommy smiled. 'Hi little man' she smiled back before taking Archie's arm 'Toni, Tommy this is Archie, Archie this is Toni and her son Tommy'. 'It's nice to meet you both' Archie stepped forward to shake Toni's hand. 'Likewise' Toni smiled shaking his hand. Archie held out his fist to fist bump Tommy which he reciprocated with a explosion noise at the end causing the adults to let out a chuckle. 'So now that everyone knows each other should we head to the pool?' Veronica asked. 'Sure, I'll just get Tommy ready and we'll meet you in the garden' Toni smiled. 

Cheryl told Toni to use the bedroom that she had slept in to get herself and Tommy ready as she went to her own room to change. Veronica and Archie used another spare room, of course the brunette and both redheads we're downstairs and out at the pool before Toni, she had a child to get dressed who was so excited to go into the pool it took her longer than it normally would have done to get him dressed due to him wriggling so much. 'The longer it takes you to stay still the longer it takes for us to get to the pool' Toni tried to tell her son. When she had finally got him dressed she sat him on the bed so she could get changed herself, she had a plain black two piece showing off her navel piercing. Outside Cheryl and Veronica were stood by the pool chatting, the redhead obviously chose her bright red two piece and the brunette was wearing a black one piece, both their hairs tied in a high bun. Archie was stood by Veronica with his arm around her middle before he had what he thought was a great idea. 'Ronnie' he laughed as he tighten his arms around her waist. 'Don't even think about it Archie' the brunette screamed but it was too late. Archie lifted her off the ground and threw her into the pool causing the redhead woman to laughed before he set his eyes on her. 'Don't you dare' she warned taking a few steps back. The boyish grin on his face made her turn to run but it was too late, Archie lifted her off the ground and threw her into the pool next to her best friend. 'My hair' Cheryl squealed as she come up for air. Archie cannonballed into the pool causing both women to laugh as they splashed him, all of them completely drenched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've uploaded really early today since I actually slept last night. I'll be starting my new job soon and the shifts are 12 hours so I doubt I'll be updating as often as I am now but I will try my best, please be patient with me. I hope you enjoy these chapters! Have a great day guys :)


	17. Chapter 17

Finally the mother and son were ready, Toni put her hair on the top of her head so it didn't get in her face. 'Okay little man you ready to go downstairs?'. 'Yes Yes Yes!' Tommy shouted. Toni took his hand and led him downstairs, waiting patiently as he took slow single steps as he held on to the rail. 'Before you go running to the pool Mommy needs to put your arm bands on okay?' Toni said looking down at her son. 'Okay Mommy' he smiled looking up to her. They walked through the back door and across the grass towards the pool. Cheryl turned as she heard Tommy squealing as he walked across the garden. The redhead look towards his mother and her mouth dropped, Toni looked gorgeous. Veronica swam over to her 'pick your jaw up Cheryl' she laughed and winked but Cheryl didn't even turn to look at her. Toni put the arm bands on Tommy and he suddenly cannonballed into the pool pulling Cheryl from her less than clean thoughts. She swam over to Toni as the other woman was sitting down on the edge. The redhead held out her hand to help Toni into the pool 'you look amazing' she said as she allowed her eyes to rake over her body. Toni took Cheryl's hand and pushed herself off the edge and into the water 'oh yeah? Well you look even better' she winked. Veronica watched from the other side of the pool a smirk on her face.

Unsurprisingly Archie and Toni got on very well they were both like teenagers as they splashed the girls every time they tried to relax on the floaties. 'Mommy can I try and swim without my arm bands?' Tommy asked as he floated in the pool. 'Sure kid but you are only allowed to take them off when there is an adult here, okay' he nodded as he moved to the side of the pool. Toni lifted him up and sat him on the side so she could safely take off his arm bands. 'Toni what are you doing?' Cheryl asked looking over from her floatie. 'Tommy wants to learn to swim, right buddy?'. 'Yep' he nodded. The redhead slid back into the water and swam over 'Toni is that safe?' she started to panic. 'Only one way to find out, he's got to learn eventually' Toni shrugged 'Okay buddy jump to me' she put her arms up to catch Tommy and Cheryl thought her heart might have stopped when he stood up and leaped from the pool side. It was only when Toni caught him that the redhead realised that she was holding her breath. 'Okay buddy, do you want to try and swim to Cheryl?' Toni asked as she motioned Cheryl to move back. 'Okay' he smiled. 'Okay don't forget to hold your breath and kick your legs when I let go alright'. He nodded as he prepared himself for his mother to let him go. Toni moved her arms away from his body and the little boy went under the water while trying to kick but he didn't seem to be moving. Cheryl started to panic looking at Toni with worried eyes 'Toni, this isn't a good idea'. Toni told her not to worry before she picked him back up, he took a breath and wiped his eyes. 'Are you okay? Do you want to try again' Toni asked and he nodded with a giggle. Archie and Veronica were sat on the poolside cheering Tommy on. 'Okay, you've got to kick your legs and push yourself forward, ready?'. He nodded and began to hold his breath and Cheryl did the same not wanting to look.

Toni let go of him again, he kicked his feet still stuck in the same place. Just as Toni was about to lift him up he began swimming towards Cheryl, as soon as he got to her she scooped him up as everyone cheered. 'I did it!' the small boy yelled as he clung to Cheryl. 'That was great baby' Toni smiled 'do you want to try and swim back to Mommy?' she asked. 'Yay' he clapped. 'Okay Cheryl let him go when you're are ready' Toni smiled. 'I don't think I can' Cheryl said still holding on to Tommy. Toni looked at her son 'Tommy do you trust Cheryl?'. He looked from his mother to the redhead and back again 'yes, I trust Cheryl' he smiled. 'See' Toni said as she looked back back at Cheryl 'if he struggles pick him back up okay?'. 'Okay' the redhead breathed out 'ready?'. Tommy nodded. As soon as he held in his breath she lowered him into the water and as much as she didn't want to she let him go. He began to kick his feet and he managed to swim across to his mom. She picked him up and threw him into the air 'you did it' she smiled kissing his cheek as everyone cheered for him. 'I think that's it for today though Cheryl looks like she's about to pass out' Toni laughed. Cheryl flipped her off when Tommy wasn't looking causing Toni to giggle again.

Toni lifted Tommy back to the pool side and slid on his armbands, she moved over as he stood up and jumped into the pool swimming over to Archie and Veronica. Toni swam over to Cheryl and took her hand in her own causing the redhead to smile. 'Are you okay?' Toni asked. 'Yes, I think my heart rate has gone back to normal'. 'Cher he was fine, I want him to be brave and fearless when he's with me, he knows he is safe and that I've got his back, he also knows that he is safe with you' Toni gave her hand a squeeze 'I can see you'd never let anything bad happen to him'. 'Of course I wouldn't' Cheryl said 'he really is fearless' she laughed. 'He gets it from his Mom, what can I say' Toni shrugged cockily. 'Careful there Toni I think your heads about to swell' Cheryl laughed. 'Well I'd rather him be like me than his father, the kid is nothing like him thank god' Toni breathed. 'How are you guys doing with everything?' Cheryl asked concerned. 'I'm doing great, I wanted out of that relationship pretty early on but I got pregnant, not that I'd change my baby for the world. I'd do it all again to have Tommy but it was hard, I allowed myself to become someone I wasn't to keep the peace. The longer time went on the more violent he became but when he put hands on Tommy that was the final straw. I left in the middle of the night without a trace. Tommy on the other hand didn't completely understand, at first he asked a lot when we was going home but he hasn't for a while'. 'Oh Toni I'm so sorry' Cheryl said sympathetically 'if you ever need to talk I'm here for you'. 'I know Cher, it's my brothers I miss the most, they're the only family I have left and I couldn't even say goodbye' Toni said looking down into the water. 'Well when you're ready to reach out, meet them somewhere out of the city to be on the safe side. I can always drive you'. 'You'd do that?' Toni asked. 'Of course' Cheryl said placing her hand on Toni's face. 'Thank you Cher and at least after all the bad stuff, I'm lucky enough to still have my son and I met you' she smiled causing a blush on Cheryl's cheeks. All Cheryl wanted to do at this moment in time was bring Toni's lips to her own but she didn't, she wanted to wait until Toni was ready.

Archie took Tommy onto the grass to play soccer with him, the little boy was loving all the attention on him being the only child. Cheryl was laid on a floatie while Toni was leaning on the side of it while she chatted to the redhead. 'So you guys look comfortable' Veronica smirked as she swam over to the pair. Toni looked at Cheryl while the redhead rolled her eyes 'we are thank you'. 'Okay girl chill, I'm just glad you guys are getting on so well' Veronica laughed 'so... are you guys going on another date?'. 'We're having a coffee date while Tommy is at school on Wednesday' Toni smiled. 'Cute, ya know Toni Cheryl doesn't normally do dates' Veronica said trying to tease her friend but before Toni could say anything the redhead spoke up 'and I told you V Toni is different'. 'Wow Toni you're a lucky girl she's never said anything like that' Veronica laughed 'I'll leave you little love birds to it, I'm going to enjoy the view of Archie in the sun without his shirt' she winked before climbing out of the pool and sitting on the lounger. 'She really is insufferable' Cheryl laughed. 'Was what you said true?' Toni asked. 'Huh?' Cheryl said turning her head to look at the other woman. 'About me being different?' Toni said looking the redhead in the eyes. 'It is' Cheryl said nervously 'is that weird? It's probably too soon to say things like that right?' the redhead started to panic that maybe she had been too forward. 'Hey, hey' Toni said squeezing the other woman's hand 'I feel the same way'. 'You do?' Cheryl smiled as she let out a breath as Toni nodded.

The pair were still in the pool as Archie, Veronica and Tommy were on the grass. 'Oh that doesn't look good' Veronica said as she looked. Dark clouds had started to cover the sky and the sun was no longer shining. 'Don't worry it'll probably pass' Archie said still kicking the ball to the young boy. The redheaded man was wrong, the heavens opened and the rain began to fall hard. Archie ran towards Tommy and picked him up while the little boy giggled as they moved towards the house. Veronica not far behind them as she screamed while the rain hit her skin. 'Oh shit' Cheryl laughed as she jumped off the floatie to climb out of the pool. 'Wait...' Toni said grabbing hold of the redheads hand before she had time to get out of the water. Cheryl turned to face the woman to ask what was the problem was but before she could Toni crashed her lips into the redheads. It didn't take long for Cheryl to turn fully and relax into the kiss wrapping her arms around Toni's neck as they stayed float. The redhead felt arms wrap around her middle as Toni deepened the kiss their bodies against each other as the rain dripped down their faces. It was like time had stopped, like there was no one else in the world apart from the two of them. As if they had both finally found something they didn't know they were looking for, it felt like... home. Only pulling away when they were desperate for air. 'I've been dying to do that' Toni smiled as she lent her forehead against Cheryl's. The redhead smiled pulling Toni in for one more kiss 'come on we should get inside' she said but didn't attempt to move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Have a great day!


	18. Chapter 18

Everyone had gone upstairs to take showers and changed back into their clothes since the weather had took a turn for the worse. Cheryl couldn't wipe the smile off her face and neither could Toni both feeling like they were in a blissful dream. Archie was sat on the floor playing with Tommy as he showed him all the new toys Cheryl had bought for him. 'Cheryl can I talk to you?' Veronica asked from the opposite couch the redhead and Toni were sat on. 'Erm sure'. Cheryl wondered what it could be about she was sure no one had seen the kiss and if she was honest she wanted to keep that as a memory between her and Toni at least for now, it was special to her and she didn't want to share it right now. Cheryl gave Toni's knee a light squeeze as she got up 'I'll be right back' receiving a nod and smile from the shorter woman. Veronica walked up the stairs and into Cheryl's bedroom flopping on her bed.

'V, what is it?' Cheryl asked concerned. She groaned as she turned to face the redhead as she sat down next to her. 'It's Archie' was all Veronica said. 'What about him?' Cheryl pushed. 'Well we've had a great day today right' she said looking at the redhead as she nodded 'well I think maybe I'm ready to make it official with him, he's good to me, gets along great with you and your beau, he's also great with Tommy which is a plus. I'm not one hundred percent sure though, can I commit to him fully, am I ready to settle down?'. 'Well I think that's great Veronica, I think you and Archie would be a great couple and you should just try it, start slow if it's meant to be it will be' Cheryl smiled bringing her friend in for a hug. 'Look at us considering settling down' Veronica laughed. 'I know right, who'd have thought it. I just hope it works out for Toni and I if we decide to take it further than just dating' Cheryl shrugged but the nervousness was all over her face. 'I'm sure it'll work out great for you both' Veronica smiled.

When they headed back downstairs Archie was still on the floor with Tommy while Toni was still on the couch. They stopped their conversation though once the girls walked back into the room. 'Everything okay?' Toni asked. 'Everything is fine' Cheryl smiled as she placed a hand on Toni's shoulder 'shall we order some food?'. Once everyone agreed on Indian food the redhead ordered it and took a seat next to Toni. It wasn't long before Tommy was climbing up on the couch with Toni and Cheryl obviously tired from playing in the pool. He laid across them both, his head on the redheads lap and his legs over his mother. Cheryl put a movie on for them to watch obviously child friendly. Archie had moved next to Veronica wrapping his arm around her as they got comfortable. The redhead twirled the little boys curls between her fingers as she mindless watched tv. Everyone was sat in comfortable silence until the buzz of the gate got their attention. 'Open the gate, I'll get the food' Archie smiled as he stood up. Cheryl pulled up the app on her phone and opened the gates while Toni sat Tommy up so he didn't completely fall asleep. 'Dinners here buddy' she whispered to him as he clung to her. 'I'll get some plates' Veronica offered as she stood up and went to the kitchen.

Once everyone had food on their plates they began to eat in front of the tv. Toni had put a towel under Tommy on the floor so he made as little mess as possible. Everyone chatted about random things while they ate. 'I hope we have more days like this' Veronica smiled 'it's been a great day'. 'It sure has' Toni smiled 'I wish this weekend could last a little longer but I'll have to get home soon. Tommy has school tomorrow and I have to work'. Cheryl couldn't help but feel disappointed even though she knew they'd have to go home today. 'After dinner I can take you home, then you can get Tommy settled' the redhead smiled. 'Thank you Cher, I'd appreciate that' Toni smiled. 'Yeah we should go too after dinner it is getting kind of late' Veronica nodded. After everyone had eaten they helped clean up so Cheryl's house was back to looking like it did when they arrived even though the redhead said they didn't need to and that she would clean up later. Veronica and Archie soon said their goodbyes and left to go home. Cheryl hugging her and whispering for her to 'go get her man'. 'I guess I should get you guys home too?' the redhead looked between Toni and Tommy.

As Cheryl pulled the car into the apartments parking lot she turned to look at Toni 'I've had a really great weekend'. 'Me too Cher'. They sat there for a moment in silence as Tommy slept soundly in the back. 'So I'll see you Wednesday?' Toni asked. 'You will' Cheryl smiled. 'Well I can't wait' Toni said put her fingers under the other woman's chin and pulled her closer. 'Me either' the redhead whispered as she closed the gap and connected her lips to Toni's. The kiss was slow and filled with want but also new and exciting. Cheryl felt it all, the butterflies in her stomach and the fireworks behind her eyelids. Everything felt so right and so perfect she only hoped Toni felt the same, which of course she did. The redhead pulled away first. 'I should go' Toni smiled reluctant to leave. 'Yeah' Cheryl smiled. The shorter woman got out of the car to pick up the sleeping boy 'bye Cher'. 'Goodbye Toni' she waved as Toni walked into her building before driving herself home.

As Toni carried her son up the stairs to her apartment he woke up. 'Where's Cheryl?' he asked as he gripped onto his teddy. 'Cheryl's at her house baby' she whispered as she put him down and unlocked the door to their apartment. They walked inside, Toni locked the door and threw her keys on the counter. Tommy was taking his shoes off after he climbed on the couch. 'Hey baby can Mommy talk to you about some grown up stuff?' Toni said joining him on the couch. 'So what do you think about Cheryl?'. 'I think she has pretty red hair' he smiled innocently. 'She does but what do you think about the person she is on the inside?' she said pointing to her own chest. He put his finger on his chin as he thought about the question. 'I think Cheryl is kind and fun and she's nice to me' he said looking at his mom. 'Okay, so how would you feel if mommy told you Cheryl and I were thinking about dating?' Toni asked, she wanted him to know what was happening and if he wasn't comfortable she could at least stop it before it really started. As much as she liked Cheryl her son had to come first and if he wasn't ready to let another person into their lives she would respect that. He went silent and Toni got the feeling this could end badly but she stayed quiet and waited patiently for his answer. 'I really like Cheryl Mommy but what if she hurts you'. Toni was confused by that he was too young to understand relationship dynamics 'what do you mean?'. 'What if she hurts you like daddy did?' his eyes wide as he looked at his mother. 'Baby...' she kneeled down on the floor in front of him 'not every person is like daddy okay? What daddy did was wrong, no one should ever hurt another person like that but Cheryl is nothing like daddy okay? And mommy would never allow anyone to hurt us again' she tried not to let her tears build up because how her awful relationship with his father had affected her son. 'If Cheryl stays nice I think it would be okay if you was in love' he smiled only understanding things from a child's level. 'Let's not say love yet' she laughed 'but I need you to be sure, Cheryl could be around a lot more'. 'I'd like that' he smiled. 'You would?'. 'Yep' he laughed wrapping his arms around his mother. 'Well okay then' she said picking him up 'it's your bedtime, school in the morning'.

After she had showered Tommy and tucked him in bed she had a shower and her got herself into bed. She wasn't quite tired yet so she decided to pull out her phone and message the redhead.

_Toni Topaz_   
_Hey are you awake?_

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_I am, I'm just watching a lame reality show in bed. Everything okay?_

_Toni Topaz_   
_Actually no._

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_What's wrong?_

_Toni Topaz_   
_I sat down with Tommy after you dropped us home to speak to him about, you know us._

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_Oh? And what did he say?_

_Toni Topaz_   
_Well I had to make sure he was on board with everything, he has to be my priority._

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_Of course I understand Toni, you don't have to explain, we can remain friends._

_Toni Topaz_   
_Oh no Cher it's not like that. When I asked him about what he thinks about you as a person he said everything I hoped he would, he's really fond of you. It was when I mentioned the dating._

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_Look Toni really I get it._

_Toni Topaz_   
_No you don't. The first thing he said is what if Cheryl hurts you like daddy. His first thought to relationships is violence, it made me so sad._

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_Toni I'd never do that._

_Toni Topaz_   
_I know and I explained that to him. Once he understood what his father did was wrong he agreed that he'd like you around more._

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_He did?_

_Toni Topaz_   
_Yes, if that's something you'd like of course._

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_Toni that's something I'd love._

_Toni Topaz_   
_Well that's settled then. I hope you don't think I'm getting too serious too soon or anything, I just want Tommy to completely understand._

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_So do I Toni, you did the right thing. Tommy has to come first before either of us._

_Toni Topaz_   
_You're amazing, you know that?_

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_You should be asleep Toni it's getting late._

_Toni Topaz_   
_Fine. I had a great weekend with you. Goodnight Cher._

_Cheryl Blossom_   
_So did I. Goodnight Toni._


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I've managed to get in front a little I thought I'd add a couple more chapters tonight for you all to enjoy!
> 
> It's nearly 8.30pm here in England and I have to wait until tomorrow to watch the new episode of Riverdale on Netflix.
> 
> Thank you all for your comments and support it means a lot to know you are enjoying my story.
> 
> Have a great day/afternoon/evening where ever you are!

Toni woke up to the blaring of her alarm like every other week day. She groaned as she pulled herself out of her bed wondering why it always felt so much more comfortable in a morning. She made herself a coffee before she sat in front of the tv and put on the cartoons ready to wake up her son. Giving herself a few minutes to wake up while she sipped her hot beverage she pulled out her phone and sent a good morning message to the redhead. Receiving one back almost immediately. She didn't have time to start a conversation right now though it was Monday morning and she had to get herself and Tommy ready for the day. Creeping into his room she sat on the side of his bed rubbing his cheek until he began to stir. 'Good morning kiddo it's time for school' she smiled as she pulled him out of bed. She sat him on the couch and decided she would do toast for breakfast today. He sat in front of the tv quietly watching it before he turned to his mom. 'Mommy?' he said quietly. 'Yeah?' she looked at him and the look on his face concerned her. 'Will we ever see daddy again?'. It had been a few week since the little boy had mentioned his father but she knew it would come up again. 'Do you want to?' she asked carefully, his best interest was always what she thought about and if he wanted to see his father she would arrange something. 'No. I like it here and daddy isn't nice'. Toni just watched him as his face changed into sadness 'but I do miss Uncle Pea and Uncle Fangs'. 'Me too buddy' she picked him up and hugged him. She missed her brothers, they were the only family she had left, the only reason they hadn't seriously hurt Tommy's father was because she had asked them not to for the sake of her son. 'Maybe one day they could visit?' Tommy asked. 'Maybe baby' Toni smiled knowing it would be unlikely.

That was the last Tommy mentioned anything from the life she left behind and she was glad. She didn't always have all the answers for her son and some things were still raw for her to talk about, she was trying to navigate everything the best she could. After dropping Tommy off at school she headed to work her mind filled with things she'd rather forget. The bell above the door rang as she entered the diner saying hello to Pop as she walked behind the counter. 'Its not too busy today Toni so don't worry about rushing' he smiled as he turned to serve a customer. Toni put on her apron and grabbed her pen and notebook to take orders. Her eyes landing on a familiar redhead and brunette in a booth at the back. 'Hey guys' Toni smiled as she approached the table. 'Hey' they smiled as they looked up at the waitress. 'What are you guys doing here so early?' Toni asked. 'Well I'm here to gossip to Cheryl over a certain redheaded man and she's here to watch the prettiest waitress in the city work' she grinned. Toni looked over to Cheryl. 'She's not wrong' the redhead smirked. Toni laughed as she shook her head 'honestly you two, can I get you anything else?'. 'No thank you Toni' Cheryl smiled. 'I'm good too thanks' Veronica said. 'Okay well I should get back to work' Toni smiled as she walked away.

Veronica turned her attention back to Cheryl 'you guys are so cute together'. 'Well we're not technically together, we're just dating at the moment' Cheryl shrugged glancing at Toni every now and again. 'Well how long are you going to wait before you make it official, I thought lesbians always move fast in relationships' the brunette laughed. 'Well, there's a child involved V we have to do this right'. 'Wow Cheryl you're head over heels for her' Veronica smirked. 'Shut up' Cheryl said rolling her eyes 'we're not here to talk about me anyway, how did it go with Archie?'. 'Well after we left your house we went back to my place and we like talked, more than we ever have. I asked him what he thought about us maybe making it official'. 'And what did he say?' Cheryl asked impatiently. 'He said he'd love to' Veronica smiled. 'How romantic' the redhead smiled. 'It was, and then we headed upstairs and had the best sex session ever' Veronica smirked. 'Okay eww too much information' Cheryl laughed. 'What just because you're not getting any' Veronica grinned. 'I know I say it all the time but you're insufferable' the redhead rolled her eyes. 'Well I for one can't wait to hear about yours and Toni's love making' she winked. 'Ronnie, she's right there' Cheryl said with wide eyes 'can you control yourself. Plus I'm not going to give you any information about that if and when it happens'. 'You won't need to, I'll know' Veronica sat back smugly. 'Whatever you say V' the redhead said taking a sip of her coffee.

As Toni made her way around the diner taking orders she didn't miss the way Cheryl kept looking at her. And if she was honest with herself she loved it especially the way Cheryl raised an eyebrow when a male customer asked for Toni's phone number. 'Oooh someone's after your girl' Veronica teased. 'Come on let's go' Cheryl said as she threw a napkin at the brunette. Toni was still trying to take the order of the man who was trying his hardest to flirt with her when Cheryl and Veronica stood to leave. Toni didn't even notice until she felt a hand on the small of her back. 'We're leaving' Cheryl said leaning closer to Toni's ear 'I'll see you later babe' she placed a kiss on Toni's cheek sending a look to the man enjoying the way his face changed when he realised what was happening. Toni shook herself from the shock turning to Cheryl as she left with a cheeky grin on her face. 'Are you jealous?' the waitress mouthed to her but was only met with a wink and a smile as the pair left the diner. _'This girl'_ Toni thought as she remembered where she was and got back to work. Around midday Jughead and Betty walked in greeting Toni as they took a seat in the booth. When they seemed settled Toni went over to take their order. 'Hey guys how are you both?'. 'We're good Toni, how are you?'. They chatted and Toni took their order and giving it to Pop. When the food was ready Toni took it back over to the table where the couple was sitting. As she was about to leave to serve other customers Jughead spoke up 'hey Toni, would you like to bring Tommy to a play date at the park, say Thursday after school? Some of the parents meet up every now and again so the kids can spend time together'. 'I'm sure Tommy will love that' she smiled before walking back to the kitchen.

Today had been a little slower than normal but it was a Monday and Toni didn't mind, it gave her more chance to have conversations with people. The sun was out as she walked to school to pick up Tommy so she was happy about that, she decided she'd take him to walk through the park on the way home and buy him an ice cream. She waited patiently at the classroom door for her son to run out to her like he always did when he saw her. 'Hey Mommy' he waved as he ran into her arms, she picked him up and placed a kiss on his cheek while he giggled. 'I've missed you' she said as she put him on the ground. 'You did?' Tommy asked. 'Of course I did, what have you been up to today?' she asked as they walked out of school hand in hand. 'Well I've done drawing and counting and playing with my friends' he said as he skipped next to her. 'That sounds fun, should we walk through the park to get ice cream on the way home?'. 'Ooooh yes please' he smiled. 'Okay kid let's go'. Tommy ran through the trees laughing excitedly as Toni chased him, other adults passing looked at her in disproval but she didn't care, if her son was happy so was she. They collapsed on the grass after getting ice cream still giggling as they playfully argued about who was faster until Toni finally gave up and told the little boy what he wanted to hear. 'I love you Mommy' he said giving her a toothy grin. Toni's heart swelled every single time those words came from his mouth 'and I love you Thomas'. 'It's Tommy' he said pretending to be angry as he crossed his arms. 'It's Thomas, I named you' she laughed. 'Okay Toni' he said cheekily. 'Hey, it's only Mommy to you' she grabbed and pulled him on to her knee as she tickled him. 'Okay, okay it's Mommy' he squealed.

Toni carried Tommy home on her shoulders something she did less now that he was getting bigger but he enjoyed it nonetheless pointing at everything as they walked down the street. 'Okay what do you want for dinner?' Toni asked as she locked the door to her apartment. 'Chicken nuggets' he smiled turning on the tv as he climbed on the couch and it just reminded Toni how he was growing up more and more each day. 'Okay chicken nuggets it is' she said as she opened the freezer in search of them. After they had eaten in front of the tv Toni got Tommy showered and in his pyjamas ready for bed allowing him a little more time to watch the cartoons. 'Mommy can I call Cheryl to say goodnight?' Tommy asked. 'I mean you can try, she might be busy though' Toni said pulling out her phone and video calling the redhead. After a few rings Cheryl picked up with a smile when she saw the little boy on the other side.

'Hi Tommy'.  
'Hi Cheryl I just wanted to call to say good night, Mommy said I have to go to bed now'.  
'Well you do have school tomorrow, don't you?'.  
He nodded at the screen.  
'Well you have to get lots of sleep then so you can learn new things right?'  
'Right, that's what Mommy says too'.  
'Well your Mommy is right. Goodnight Tommy sweet dreams'.  
'Goodnight Cheryl'.

Tommy dropped the phone and ran towards his room leaving Toni to pick it back up.

'Sorry if we disturbed you he wanted to say good night'.  
'Its fine Toni, do you want me to wait here while you put him to bed?'  
'If you're not too busy, I'll be right back'.

'Okay he's asleep, so how was your day Cher?'  
'It was just the usually, nothing too exciting. How was yours?'  
'Same, Tommy and I went through the park on our way home from school. He loved it though and so did I'.  
'You guys have a great bond, it's really lovely to see'.  
'He means the world to me, he really does. Anyway what was that about at the diner earlier?'  
'What?'  
'You know the whole flirting with me in front of the customer thing'.  
'Ohh, he was hitting on you so I thought I'd let him know you wasn't available'.  
'Really? Because to me you looked slightly jealous'.  
'What if I was'.  
Toni just laughed.  
'Cher you have nothing to worry about, I only date one person at a time'.  
'Well that's good to know'.  
Toni nodded.  
'I should get going, I need to clean up before I shower and go to bed'.  
'Okay Toni well it was nice to talk to you, good night'.  
'You too, goodnight Cher'.

Toni hung up the phone and held it towards her chest glad she got to spend a few minutes having a conversation with Cheryl, she missed the redhead already and couldn't wait to see her on Wednesday even if it was just for a coffee date. She got off the couch and busied herself with cleaning before it was time for her to get ready for bed.


	20. Chapter 20

Tuesday had passed by like any other day, nothing really happened. Toni took Tommy to school and went to work herself, she didn't see or hear from Cheryl at all but she didn't mind too much, it was all new and they didn't need to be with each other every second of the day. She spent the evening watching movies with Tommy before having an early night falling asleep thinking about the day ahead and her date with Cheryl. Wednesday morning Toni walked Tommy to school as he talked about his friends. She was glad he had settled in well at his new school and he hadn't had any problems with being the new kid. She kissed him goodbye as she watched him run into his class, once he was settled she turned to leave the school knowing that Cheryl was waiting for her in the parking lot.

She approached the familiar red car bending down and knocking on the window. The redhead rolled it down looking at her date. 'Waiting for someone?' Toni joked. 'Actually yes, I have a hot date' Cheryl smiled. 'Really? Lucky girl' the shorter woman laughed as she opened the door and got inside, she leaned over placing a kiss on the redheads lips. 'So, Pops?' Toni asked. 'Actually there's a restaurant I regularly go to, I'd like to take you there if you'd like?' Cheryl asked shyly. 'I mean, if you want' Toni shrugged. 'Great' she smiled as she put the car in drive and drove to the restaurant. She parked in the parking lot down the street before getting out of the car and moving around to open the door for her date. 'Thank you' Toni smiled bashfully taking the redheads hand. They walked towards the restaurant hand in hand. 'That's quite the line' Toni said as she noticed the people waiting to get in. 'Yes, it's a popular place but Veronica and I are in business with the owner' Cheryl said leading Toni passed the customers waiting. 'Miss Blossom' the staff member on the door nodded in greeting as he let her passed. 'Ah Miss Blossom, your usual table?' the waiter asked. 'Yes please Bradley, this is my date Toni Topaz'. 'Nice to meet you Miss Topaz, please follow me' he said as he showed them to their table.

'I'm definitely not used to that' Toni laughed. 'What?' Cheryl asked as they sat across from each other. 'The whole Miss Topaz thing' she smiled. 'We can leave if you are uncomfortable' Cheryl said unsure. 'No, I didn't mean like that' Toni smiled reaching for the redheads hand 'it's nice here'. 'Okay, what can I get you both this morning' Bradley smiled with his notepad in his hand. 'I'll have a croissant and a latte please and for the lady?' Cheryl said looking over to Toni. 'Um the same please' she smiled at the waiter. 'I'll be right back' he nodded after jotting down their order. Cheryl just watched Toni taking in the building. 'What?' she blushed when she saw the redhead was staring. 'You're just so beautiful' Cheryl grinned. Before Toni could cover her red cheeks the waiter was back with their breakfast. 'Wow that was fast' Toni said shocked. 'They have good service here' the redhead smiled but was met with a raised eyebrow from Toni 'not as good as the service at Pops, of course'. Toni just laughed until she saw Cheryl's face stiffen and her eyes following a woman approaching their table. The brunette woman stopped right in front of them both. Ton's eyesi moved between Cheryl and the stranger feeling the tension thicken instantly.

'Madison' Cheryl nodded 'can't you see I'm busy, what do you want?'. 'I wanted to give you the opportunity to tell me what the hell's going on, I thought you weren't looking for a relationship but here you are with who I assume is your new _'beau'_ as Veronica said' the brunette spat. 'Who I'm with is nothing to do with you' Cheryl shrugged not wanting to waste her time with the obsessed woman 'how many times do I have to tell you we was never together'. 'It didn't feel like that when we was together, I love you and you do this to me, I could have given you everything, make you feel things she never could' she said spitefully at Toni causing her to raise an eyebrow. Cheryl pushed her chair back as she stood up 'excuse me a moment Toni' the redhead said as she grabbed hold of the brunette and dragged her away. 'Don't trust her, she'll break your heart' Madison to Toni said as Cheryl moved her out of earshot. Toni could see hands flying around in a heated argument and Cheryl pulling away when the woman tried to grab her hands. Maybe this was too messy Toni thought to herself. She saw some of the staff approach the arguing women to see what all the commotion was about before they escorted the brunette out of the building. Toni noticed the redhead running her hands through her hair in frustration before making her way back over to their table. Toni adverted her gaze looking anywhere but Cheryl.

'I'm sorry about that Toni, I didn't expect her to be here' Cheryl apologised. 'Who was that?' Toni asked. 'Do you remember when I went to the club with Ronnie and I told you about the unwanted interaction with someone I, now regrettably hooked up with, well that's her. Madison, completely crazy'. 'She seems really into you' Toni shrugged trying not to look too obvious that she was digging for information. 'Well I don't care, I'm only interested in one person and she's sat here with me now' Cheryl smiled sweetly. 'Cher, do I need to worry?' she asked meeting the redheads eyes. 'Of course not TT, don't let her get to you, I'm not the person she's making me out to be' she said reaching for the other woman's hand 'trust me okay?'. 'Okay' Toni nodded squeezing the redheads hand not missing the new nickname. They continued drinking their latte as Cheryl asked about Tommy. 'He's really missing his uncles' Toni said sadly. 'Do you want to call them? You can use my phone so they can't trace anything back to you'. 'It's not them I worry about, it's him' Toni said looking down. 'Well I can put my phone on private so no number shows up, will they still answer?' Cheryl asked. 'I guess I can try'. Cheryl pulled out her phone putting it on private and handing it to Toni 'do you want me to give you a moment?'. 'No, please stay' Toni said not letting go of Cheryl's hand using her other hand to type in the memorized number. She brought the phone to her ear, feeling more and more nervous with every ring.

'Who is this?' the familiar voice said on the other end of the phone.  
'Sweet, it's Toni' she said nervously.  
'Toni? Are you okay? Where are you?'.  
'I can't tell you where I am right now but Tommy and I are both safe I just wanted you to know that'.  
She heard rustling on the other side of the phone before the voice of her other brother came on the phone.  
'T? What happened?'.  
'Fangs, I had to leave Lukas hurt Tommy, I couldn't let him live like that anymore' she couldn't stop the tears falling.  
'That bastard. Can we speak to Tom?'.  
'He's at school but Lukas can't know you have spoken to me'.  
'As if we're going to tell him T you're our sister. We went to your place when we hadn't heard from you but when he said you had abandoned him and took his son we thought he'd done something to you. We beat him but he didn't tell us anything obviously he didn't know where you were'.  
'Thank god, do you know if he's doing anything to find me?'.  
'I haven't heard anything T, he probably couldn't afford it anyway since all his money goes on alcohol'.  
'I know but Tommy is still legally his son and I can't take a court battle right now' she sighed.  
'Look Toni, we won't tell anyone we've spoken but we need to see you. We miss you'.  
'Fine let me arrange something and I'll give you a call back shortly'.  
'Okay T we'll be waiting'.

Toni hung up the phone and brought her hands to her head 'this all seems a little heavy for a date' she tried to chuckle. 'Real life can be messy' Cheryl shrugged 'I want to be here for you'. 'I need to find a place out of the city to meet them' Toni breathed out. 'Well I know a quiet town, Greendale, it's around an hour and a half away if that's far enough away? I could drive you there on Saturday, if you'd like' the redhead offered. 'I may as well get it over with, I doubt Lukas will follow them but you never know with him'. 'Call them back, I'll pay the bill'. Cheryl had left the table before Toni could refuse. She picked up the redheads phone redialling her brothers number and arranged to meet them at the town Cheryl had mentioned. They were happy and if Toni ignored all of her negative thoughts she was happy too. The redhead approached the table when she had noticed Toni was finished on the phone. 'Do you want to head to my place for the rest of the day until Tommy finishes school?' Cheryl asked. 'Sure' Toni said taking the hand offered to her as they walked back to the car.

As they drove back to Cheryl's place Toni was too lost in her thoughts to speak. 'So I couldn't help but overhear your brothers names' the redhead asked glancing at her date. 'Oh yeah, Sweet Pea and Fangs, they don't go by the names our parents gave them anymore, they haven't since we were kids' Toni smiled. 'How come you didn't give yourself a nickname as a child?' Cheryl questioned. 'Well technically I do, Toni is a nickname' she shrugged. 'Wait, what?' Cheryl said turning to her before setting her eyes on the road again 'so what's your real name?'. 'I'm not telling you, you'll laugh' Toni grinned. 'No I will not' Cheryl defended 'just tell me please' she said placing her hand on Toni's leg 'I promise I won't laugh'. 'Fine' Toni huffed playfully 'it's Antoinette'. 'Antoinette' Cheryl repeated 'that's really pretty I like it' she smiled. 'Are you lying to please me?' Toni laughed. 'Of course not' Cheryl winked. Toni just shook her head and looked out of the window placing her hand on top of Cheryl's.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mature.
> 
> I hope you're all well!

As Cheryl pulled up to her house she saw a familiar car. 'How much drama is there gonna be today' she rolled her eyes to herself. 'What's wrong?' Toni asked. 'Is it too early to meet the parents' Cheryl turned to look at her date 'prepare yourself they're awful'. Toni looked at the car parked in front of the redheads house 'this day has gone from one extreme to another' she said shaking her head. Cheryl parked her car and walked round to Toni's side to open the door for her. The car that was parked outside the house pulled up next to Cheryl's, an older couple getting out, they were dressed immaculately and it became obvious to Toni where Cheryl got her red hair from. 'Mother, Father' Cheryl greeted as she held her hand in Toni's 'was this visit so important that you couldn't call?'. 'We need to call to see our daughter? Aren't you going to invite your parents inside?' The older woman said eyeing their joint hands. Cheryl just rolled her eyes and walked towards the door holding it open for Toni following her inside waiting for her parents to come in before closing it.

Toni didn't say anything as she took a seat next to Cheryl watching the older couple sit across from them as they eyed her suspiciously. 'Aren't you going to introduce us to your _friend_ Cheryl?'. Toni didn't miss the way the man addressed her. 'This is Toni, we were just coming back from our date before you both decided to show up'. 'Oh Cheryl, when are you going to put this nonsense behind you and find yourself a good man'. Cheryl bit her tongue not wanting to give her mother the satisfaction of seeing her wound up 'Toni this is my dreadful Mother and Father, Penelope and Clifford, they are both stuck in the 1950s'. 'We just want the best for you dear that's all' Clifford tried to reason. 'Why bother now? I'm a grown woman. Is there a reason you turned up?' Cheryl was growing tired of playing nice with her homophobic parents. 'Actually yes, we've found the perfect suitor for you, a rich young man from New York' Penelope spoke and Cheryl actually laughed. 'I'm on a date with a beautiful woman, why would I want to entertain the thought of being with some snobby man?' the younger redhead said placing her hand on Toni's thigh. 'Because it's wrong and you know it is, you're just doing this to get at us' Clifford raised his voice a little. 'Is there a child here?' Penelope interrupted looking at the toy box in the corner. 'That belongs to my son, he's not here right now' Toni finally spoke up. 'You have a son, so you do know the feeling of being with a man' Penelope smirked. 'I do...' Toni nodded, instantly wondering how someone as perfect as Cheryl could come from people like this, but she decided to have a little fun 'but it's nothing compared to being with a woman like your daughter'. Cheryl realised that Toni was baiting her parents and decided to join in 'thanks babe' she smiled sweetly before leaning in to kiss her. The redheads parents watched in horror as their daughter kissed this girl straight in front of them. 'And what does your son think to this unnatural relationship' Clifford spat. 'He loves me no matter who I'm with and of course he loves Cheryl, we actually taught him to swim together at the weekend' Toni gave her best smile. Cheryl's heart swelled at the thought she actually helped teach Tommy something. 'So as you can see a male suitor is off the table as I'm already involved with someone, if you don't mind could you leave we were actually in the middle of something' Cheryl said looking at them both. 'Or stay and watch, whichever you prefer' Toni smirked. 'Disgusting, the both of you are going straight to hell' Penelope spat as she stood up dragging Clifford towards the door followed by Cheryl. 'It was nice to meet you both' Toni yelled as Cheryl shut the door behind them.

The redhead laughed as she came back into the lounge 'did you see their faces'. 'They don't deserve a daughter if they can't love her for who she is' Toni shrugged. 'My hero' Cheryl said making her way around to the couch 'I have to admit it was pretty hot the way you stood up to them'. 'Really?' Toni smirked. 'Really' the redhead said taking the hand extended out to her. Toni pulled Cheryl on top of her as they fell back against the couch as they giggled. Suddenly as if only just noticing how close they were Toni connected their lips as Cheryl straddled her lap. The shorter women rested her hands on the redheads ass as she deepened the kiss. Moans escaping their lips every so often neither of them coming up for air. Toni's head rolled back as the redhead moved to kiss and gently suck on her neck, both of them turned on and neither of them finding a reason to stop when Toni removed Cheryl's jacket. The redhead barely remove her lips from her dates skin as she pulled off Toni's shirt revealing her black laced bra. Cheryl sat back for a moment taking in the woman beneath her. Toni saw the lust in the redheads eyes as she raked her darkened orbs over her body. The way their lipstick was smudged around Cheryl's lips as she took heavy breaths her chest rising and falling hard made Toni let out a moan as she pulled the other woman back towards her. She pulled the redheads T-shirt over her head before reconnecting their lips. 'Shall we take this upstairs? Cheryl asked nervously afraid to ruin the moment. Toni nodded as they attempted to stand up.

Maybe them getting upstairs was harder than they thought. They couldn't keep their hands off each other and when Cheryl slipped on the first step with a giggle Toni just fell on top of her placing kisses on her neck and chest. Toni stood up pulling the redhead with her as she pushed her against the wall unbuttoning the redheads jeans. Cheryl kicked them off reaching for Toni but the shorter woman linked their hands pushing them against the wall above Cheryl's head before running her tongue along the girls pale neck. Toni untangled their hands running hers down the pale body pressed against her before reaching down, placing a hands on each side of the Cheryl's ass and lifting her up. As she wrapped her legs around Toni's middle she placed her hands on Toni's face kissing her as deeply as she could surprised at how strong the shorter woman was. Toni could feel Cheryl's arousal on her stomach when she squeezed their bodies together. Cheryl couldn't take it anymore she wiggled her way from Toni's strong grip grabbing her hand and pulling her upstairs. Toni smirking to herself as she enjoyed the view in front of her.

When they finally made it to the bedroom Cheryl turned back towards Toni's kissing her hard as she grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back against the bed before climbing on top of her. She worked on pulling off Toni's jeans before giving her attention back to the lips that were impatiently waiting for hers. 'You really are beautiful' Toni breathed out. Cheryl sat up pressing her centre against Toni's underwear 'you, Antoinette are the most perfect piece of art I've ever laid my eyes on'. Toni reached up removing the last piece of clothing on the redheads upper body, as she took in Cheryl's bare chest her breath hitched. Cheryl reached around Toni's back unclasping her bra her eyes widen in lust as she looked at the woman beneath her. Toni placed a hand on each of Cheryl's thighs as she felt the rock of the redheads body on top of hers. She teased the redhead as she ran her fingers just above her underwear hearing small moans fall from her mouth. Toni hooked her thumbs around the redheads underwear pulling them down as Cheryl lifted her body to make it easier. Cheryl didn't hesitate either as she slid off Toni's last piece of clothing before relaxing and connecting their bodies again, this time nothing in the way as their skin connected. Cheryl lent down sucking Toni's collarbone while she reached between her legs, as soon as Cheryl's fingers grazed Toni's centre, the shorter woman let out a moan which made the redheads confidence surge. She began moving her fingers in a steady rhythm as Toni moaned her name, her nails digging into pale skin. Cheryl didn't think she had been this turned on in all her life at least until she felt Toni's arm snake around her body as she flipped them over.

'Oh my god' Cheryl giggled now Toni was on top. 'Impressed?' Toni smirked. 'Very' Cheryl nodded pulling her closer. Toni pushed apart Cheryl's thighs and placed herself in between them as she placed light kisses around the redheads stomach. Cheryl tangled her hands in Toni's dark hair while she enjoyed every touch. Toni moved her hand to Cheryl's centre slowly running a finger through her folds. The redhead pulled Toni back up to her as she threw her head back in pleasure. As Toni found her rhythm Cheryl reached down between Toni's thighs wanting her to feel as good as she did. As their bodies rocked closer together they picked up speed through the biting and scratching of each other's body. When Toni told Cheryl she was close, the redhead felt her own body begin to get tense. They rode out their orgasm together before Toni collapsed on top of Cheryl their bodies hot and sweaty. 'Well that was hot... and nice' Cheryl smiled as she ran her hand through Toni's hair. 'Agreed' Toni nodded their bodies still flush against each other. 'Toni?' Cheryl whispered. 'Yeah?' Toni whispered not moving her head from Cheryl's chest. 'Never mind'. 'What is it?' Toni asked lifting her head to look into Cheryl's dark eyes. 'Is it too early to make things official between us? You really are something special and I'd like to make you mine' she couldn't hide the blush beginning to cover her cheeks. 'Probably' Toni said and she didn't miss the disappointment on the redheads face '...but I would like to, if it's not too earlier for you either'. 'It's not' Cheryl smiled 'so I can call you mine officially?'. 'You can' Toni smiled as she leaned in placing a soft kiss on Cheryl's lips a blissful smile on their faces as they cuddled into each other.


	22. Chapter 22

Toni groaned as she sat up 'I should get cleaned up, I have to get Tommy from school in a couple of hours'. 'I can draw us a bath if you'd like?' the redhead asked shyly. 'That sounds great Cher' Toni smiled as she placed a soft kiss on the redheads lips. Cheryl untangled herself from Toni wrapping herself in a blanket before heading to the bathroom. She smiled to herself as she thought about what had just happened, she wasn't expecting the date to turn out like it had but she was glad about it especially after all the drama of the day. The redhead turned on the taps and poured in the bubbles. Once the bath was ready Cheryl called Toni into the bathroom, she didn't even bother covering up, the redhead had just seen everything she had to offer so she didn't see the point. Cheryl was already sat in the bathtub as she held out a hand to Toni to guide her in. The shorter woman got comfortable between the redheads legs leaning back into her chest. Cheryl ran her fingers through Toni's hair as they relaxed into the water. 'I could literally fall asleep right now' Toni breathed out. 'Me too TT' Cheryl smiled as the bubbles surrounded them.

After they shared a bath Cheryl let Toni choose an outfit from her closet. Once they were both dressed, they cleaned up the clothes that they had scattered around the house throwing them all in the redheads washing machine as they shared shy smiles each time they looked at each other. 'Do you want to come pick Tommy up from school with me? I'm sure he'll be excited to see you, we can have dinner at my place if you'd like' Toni asked. 'That sounds great Toni' Cheryl smiled. 'So your parents huh?'. 'Are a nightmare'. 'Have they always been like that?'. 'Yes much worse as I was growing up, that _little interaction_ was nothing but I'm not a child anymore Toni, they know they can't control me'. 'Well good for you' Toni smiled. 'What about your parents?'. 'Both dead, they died when I was young. My brothers and I lived with my grandfather until he died when we were teenagers'. 'I'm so sorry to hear that TT'. 'Don't be it was a long time ago, I miss them but I've dealt with it, Tommy's name is actually Thomas James Topaz in honour of my father and grandfather'. 'So Topaz is your birth name?'. 'Of course why would you ask that?' Toni laughed. 'I wasn't sure if... never mind Toni'. 'You wasn't sure if I was married to Tommy's father?'. 'I guess, I mean I assumed Tommy took his fathers name'. 'No, I'd never let that happen, I registered his birth alone. When Lukas found out though he gave me a few bruises but it was worth it' Toni shrugged. 'I'm so sorry Toni' Cheryl said as she took her hand in her own 'you didn't deserve that'. 'It's okay. We should go so we're not late for Tommy' Toni gave her a small smile.

When Cheryl parked in the schools parking lot she left the engine running while Toni got out of the car. 'What are you doing?' Toni bent down looking at the redhead. 'Waiting for you to go get Tommy?' Cheryl said as if it was obvious. 'Don't you want to come with me to get him?'. 'I mean, I can if you'd like'. 'Come on then' Toni smiled. They joined hands as they walked towards the school, they didn't miss the odd look from some parents but they ignored it. They stood and chatted as they waited for the teacher to release the class. As the bell rang children began to spill from the door. 'Mommy!' Tommy squealed as he ran to her and she picked him up, he hadn't noticed the woman stood by him until he turned to her. 'Cheryl! What are you doing here?' he said reaching his arms over to her. She took him from his mother and wrapped her arms around him 'well I missed you'. 'I missed you too' he smiled. 'Shall we get back to the car?' Toni asked. Cheryl nodded as she carried Tommy listening to him talk about his day. The redhead clipped him into his seat and drove back to Toni's apartment.

'So what have you guys done today?' Tommy asked as he ran to the couch. Cheryl and Toni shared a look before Toni answered. 'We just had some breakfast and went back to Cheryl's for a while'. 'Oh cool' Tommy nodded from the couch. 'So what do you want for dinner?' Toni asked the little boy sat on the couch. 'Nuggets' he said simply. 'Again?' Toni groaned. He just nodded happily as he turned on the cartoons. 'Nuggets?' Toni turned to the redhead. 'Sure' Cheryl smiled as she joined Tommy on the couch. Toni threw some chicken nuggets and fries in the oven and jumped over the couch to sit between the pair. Tommy giggled and Cheryl just looked at her in shock. 'What?' Toni smirked. 'I'm starting to think my girlfriend has the mentality of a child' Cheryl laughed. 'She does' Toni smiled as she placed a quick kiss on Cheryl's lips. Tommy just smiled at them before turning back to the tv. 

'Ketchup?' Toni asked Cheryl as she put a fair amount on hers and Tommy's plate. 'No thank you' the redhead smiled causing the mother and son to look at each other pulling a confused face. 'What?' Cheryl laughed. 'Chicken nuggets without ketchup is weird' Tommy laughed. 'Well I've never had them before so I wouldn't know'. 'Cheryl Blossom, I'm shocked' Toni said her mouth wide as she passed the pair their dinner before sitting down between them with her own. 'Here' Toni held a nugget with ketchup on it to the redheads mouth. 'Try it' Tommy encouraged. Cheryl took a bite of the food she was offered. 'Good right?' Toni said before popping the rest of it into her own mouth. 'Not bad' Cheryl shrugged with a smirk. Toni ignored the way the redhead used the ketchup on her plate to dip her nuggets in it before popping them into her mouth. 'Mommy can we watch the little mermaid after dinner?'. 'Sure baby' Toni smiled. Cheryl helped Toni clean up after they had eaten even though she insisted she could do it herself.

'Okay lets get cosy' Tommy giggled as he grabbed his teddy. Toni had just started the movie so they all rushed to the sofa. Cheryl lent on the arm of the couch with Toni's body pressed against her side and Tommy sat on Cheryl's lap eager to explain the movie to the redhead as they watched it. 'See Ariel looks like you!' he pointed to the movie playing on the screen. 'I guess we do have the same hair' Cheryl nodded. As the movie played Toni had told Tommy to be quiet and let Cheryl enjoy the movie. The redhead could relate to the mermaid, she knew how it felt to be trapped somewhere she didn't want to be, that's how she felt the whole time she was growing up. Somewhere half way between the movie they had shifted places, Toni now laid in between the redheads legs, her back against Cheryl's chest while Tommy cuddled on top of his mother. Cheryl pulled her attention from the movie to enjoy the moment, never did she think this would be her life. She ran her hand threw Toni's hair, she knew everything was happening quickly but she didn't want to stop it, if all her days ended watching a Disney movie and eating junk food with these two people she would be happy. She placed her hand on Tommy's back and moved her eyes back to the movie.

'Okay bedtime for you little man' Toni grumbled as she sat up from Cheryl when the movie ended. 'Can Cheryl read me a bedtime story tonight?' Tommy asked his mom. 'If she wants to' she said looking at the redhead. 'Sure, I'd love to'. 'Okay let's get you washed up and then Cheryl can read you a story' Toni said following the little boy to the bathroom. 'Okay come on' Tommy said when he came out of the bathroom grabbing the redheads hand and pulling her up. Toni sat on the couch changing the channel on the tv. 'Aren't you coming?' Cheryl asked. 'No I think you've got this' she smiled at her. Tommy picked up a book from the floor and handed it to Cheryl before climbing in his bed. The redhead sat at the bottom of the bed and opened the book. 'No silly Cheryl you have to sit here so I can see the pictures' he moved over making space for her. 'Oh right' she said sitting next to him. He lent his head on her arm bringing the blanket up to his face waiting for her to start and Cheryl's heart melted with just how cute he was. Cheryl opened the book and started to read. 'Wait' Tommy interrupted 'you have to change your voice to match the characters, that's what Mommy always does'. She nodded as she started again changing her voice to the narrative, she felt ridiculous but the smile on the little boys face made it worth it. It didn't take long for Cheryl to hear the light snores coming from the now sleeping boy. She put the book on the floor and gently moved out of the bed supporting Tommy's head with her hand as she laid it on the pillow and tucked him in. It was a unfamiliar feeling for her to care for a child but she knew she'd do anything she had to to make sure he was happy.

'All good?' Toni asked as Cheryl joined her on the couch. 'All good' she nodded. 'Great, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to stay the night? My bed is no where near as comfortable as yours but I'm a great big spoon'. 'Sounds good to me' Cheryl smiled as she moved to lay on Toni's lap. Toni ran her fingers through red hair as they watched tv. 'Hey Cher?'. 'Yes TT?'. 'About that Madison person is she going to be an issue for us?'. Cheryl looked up at Toni 'no, I hope you believe me when I say I'm not interested in her'. 'I do believe you but she seems a little... crazy?'. 'I won't let her come between us and if she does continue to harass me I'll report her to the authorities. Really TT don't let her worry you, I'm sure she'll get over it'. 'Okay Cher, I don't want to get arrested for assault if she bothers us again is all'. 'Antoinette Topaz, you are not a fighter'. 'Maybe I am, what if I told you I was in a gang before I had Tommy' Toni smirked. 'What?' Cheryl said sitting up 'a gang?'. 'Maybe, would that bother you? I take it you saw the tattoo'. 'I did and no it wouldn't bother me, in fact I think you'd make a very sexy gang member'. 'Really?' Toni laughed. 'Uh huh' Cheryl nodded leaning in for a kiss. They made out on the couch until they were out of breath. 'You'll be the death of me Toni Topaz' Cheryl smiled 'but you're worth it'. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you are all having a good day and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)


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